Love on the Inside
by gocubsgo17
Summary: Sequel to Long Nights. Now that Booth is home from war and their son has arrived, Booth and Brennan deal with family life, including Booth's mother and sisters and looking into Bren's parents' missing persons report.
1. All I Need to Know

**A/N: This is my sequel to my story, ****Long Nights****. For those of you waiting for an epilogue to that, I apologize but there isn't going to be one. I decided the ending it has was better as it was and I couldn't get the epilogue I was working on to fit in how I wanted it to. **

**This fic picks up the September after Booth was found. To eliminate all confusion, Angela and Jack have moved out of Brennan and Booth's house and Jared and Hank have gone back to Philadelphia. **

**The characters from Bones do not belong to me. But I can wish. **

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* * *

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"Bren, wake up!"

"No. Go back to sleep," she mumbled into her pillow.

"What do you wanna do today?"

"Sleep."

"Bren, it's our first anniversary! We have to do something! Let's take Drew to the park or take him out to lunch with us!"

"Why are you so upbeat? Oh, I remember," she said, answering her own question without giving him a chance to say anything, "I was the one who got up with him all last night while you snored."

"Hey, if I could feed him, I would. You're just, uh, a tad more equipped for that duty."

"I'm tired, Booth. Can I just sleep a little longer?"

"Of course, babe. I love you."

"I love you, too. Happy anniversary, Booth."

"Happy anniversary," Booth whispered. He leaned over from his side of the bed and planted a kiss on her temple. He walked out of their room on his tiptoes. After quietly closing the door to their bedroom, he slowly made his way down the narrow hall to his son's room. Booth slowly moved in, careful not to wake him. But peeking in the crib, Booth saw the big brown eyes staring back at him.

"Hey, big guy, how long have you been up?" Booth said, picking up the baby out of the crib, "You kept mommy up all night. You really should let her sleep, bub. We can hang out this morning, just us boys."

He sat down in the rocking chair, holding Drew close to his chest. Without any hesitation, Booth blasted into a one sided conversation with his son about all the things they could do when Drew got bigger.

"And then Pops can teach you how to throw that fastball he taught me. He's still better than I am at it. And I can already tell you, mom's gonna teach you all about bones. Let's go down stairs and make some breakfast."

"He might want to eat first. I know both of you are hungry," Brennan said from the doorway.

"What are you doing up? I thought you were going to sleep longer?"

She nodded toward the baby monitor by the crib. "You are very loud. Did you wake him up?"

"No!"

She laughed lightly. "I know. I heard everything. I'm not surprised he's awake."

"What do you want for breakfast?"

She shrugged. "What are you in the mood for?"

"Pancakes!"

"Only if you put bananas in mine."

"Deal…if you change his diaper. He just unloaded a big one."

"Nice try, Booth. You're not the only one in this house who can make pancakes."

* * *

Jared knocked on the front door of his mother's house. He took a look around the neighborhood and instantly compared his childhood to those of his two younger sisters, Sasha and Sadie. He hadn't seen them for a few months due to the new semester at the local community college starting and the arrival of his nephew. Jared knew his older brother hadn't visited their mom and half-sisters in the four years since he found them. Booth had made it clear to Jared that he didn't want Lizzie to know about Drew. Yet, as much as Jared respected and loved his brother, he doubted Booth's decision to hide his son from their mother would work out in the end.

"Jared! I've missed you!" Sadie cried as she opened the door. The nine year old pulled her brother into the house and to the kitchen.

"See, mommy! I told you it was Jared!"

"Oh! You were right! Hi, Jared. How've you been?" Lizzie greeted him.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry I haven't come around lately. Classes have started and before that, that there was…" he trailed off, stopping before he ignored his brother's wish.

"Honey, you don't have to apologize to me. I don't expect you to come visit if you don't want to."

"No, Mom, that's not it at all. I just got busy. I was visiting Seel, Bren and-ˮ

"And who?"

"Eh. No one else."

"Jared!" Sasha yelled, running into the kitchen. The last time Booth had seen their younger sister, she had been an infant, not much older than Drew.

"Hey! Wow, you've grown!"

The four year old beamed at the compliment and asked her mom for a snack. After acquiring two packets of fruit snacks to share with her older sister, Sasha ran off, leaving Jared and Lizzie alone again.

"So…" Lizzie prompted, waiting for her son to finish what he was saying, "who else were you visiting?"

Jared didn't say anything and just watched his mother clean the dishes.

"Are you going to tell me about Andrew?"

Jared was confused. "You know about him?"

Lizzie nodded.

"How? Did Bren call you?"

She dried off her hands and walked away from Jared, to the fridge. She pulled off a postcard and a picture. It was Drew's birth announcement.

_Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan  
Introduce their son  
Andrew Parker Booth  
Born July 4__th__ at 7:42 PM  
6 pounds 7 ounces, 19 inches_

It was beautifully handwritten and Jared knew right away it was Angela's work. He smiled, thinking of the gorgeous, but taken, friend of his sister-in-law.

"I'm guessing Seeley and Bren didn't send this to you."

Lizzie shook her head. "I'm assuming it was their return address on the envelope but her friend sent me a note with it. She said not to say anything to your brother. She said he didn't want to tell me about Andrew-ˮ

"Drew," Jared interrupted, "They call him Drew."

"Bren's friend said Seeley doesn't want me to know about Drew. She said Bren wants to come visit but she doesn't want to make Seeley mad. I think she's afraid of him."

"No! Seel's not like dad! Bren's just…loyal. She loves him and he hasn't forgotten about you leaving."

"So he's punishing me?"

"In his own way, yeah, probably. Bren's going to take his side unless it's the two of them in an argument. She wants a family. She wants something for Drew that she never had. But she's not going to force it on Seeley."

"I would like to meet my grandson," she said, not with anger or spite, but with hope.

"Mom, I love ya but I'm sorry. I don't think that's going to happen any time soon."


	2. One Step Up and Two Steps Back

"Booth, you know Drew doesn't yet possess the necessary motor skills to play on this size."

"We're just taking a walk, Bren. I'm not going to make him go down the slide or anything."

They walked down the path in their neighborhood park, with Booth pushing the stroller in front of him. Brennan noticed he winced a little with each step he took, a reminder to the both of them of his deployment overseas.

"Would you like me to push him?"

"Nah, babe, I'm okay."

"You only have a week left of your physical therapy. I don't want you to push yourself. This was a bad idea. We should go home."

"No, really, Bren, I can handle it. I just don't want to dwell on what happened. This is my way of dealing with it. It's over and done with. I'm going to start looking for a new job next week and I'm done with the Army. Let's just forget it. It's a nice day and it's _our _day. Just forget about it."

"I'm sorry."

He stopped walking and Brennan became concerned.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything. I know I've been a pain in the ass since I've been home. I'm always grumpy and I don't really help out with Drew and you're always waiting on me. I'm sorry I've been such a grouch to you and Drew. I'm going to start getting up with him. You don't get a lot of sleep-ˮ

"Booth, I'm fine," she cut him off.

"No, you're exhausted."

"You're not grumpy. And you help me more with Drew than you realize. You've become quite skilled at changing his diapers. I heard you and Teddy the other day. He was timing you, wasn't he?"

A sly smile spread across Booth's face. "I can change his diaper in less than thirty seconds, diaper rash cream and everything!" he bragged.

Brennan returned the grin. "You're good with him. Jack, Angela, Jared and Teddy still act like they're going to break him."

Booth laughed and started walking again, Brennan following his action right beside him.

"This still freaks me out," Booth admitted.

"What does?"

"This. Us. Our family. We've only been married a year and we already have a son. This all happened really fast."

"Yes," she agreed, "But, we've adjusted. We don't really have time to freak out about this."

"I know. We should probably head home. I'm hungry."

She laughed. "I know, I can hear your stomach."

When they reached their house, Booth lifted the stroller over the front steps to the landing and heard the phone ringing through the door. Delicately setting down the stroller with his son still in it, he opened the door and ran to the phone, answering it on the last ring.

"Hello? Hey, Jared…wait…oh, you have got to be kidding me…she's so dead…no, Jared, thank you for telling me…no, tell Lizzie to forget about him…Jared, just tell her. Do the girls know who he is? Good keep it that way…yeah, whatever. Bye."

Brennan stood in the doorway holding Drew and watching Booth pace in the kitchen angrily.

"What's going on?" she asked, even though she had a slight inkling of what was happening.

"Angela is so busted. She's lucky she and Jack found their own place or I'd be throwing her out on the street right now!"

"Booth?"

"_Your_ friend sent Lizzie, of all people, one of Drew's birth announcements. Jared was over there today and he saw it. Didn't you tell Angela not to send one to her?" his voice was rising the more he spoke and Brennan could sense his anger.

"I told her not to. While I don't exactly understand why you don't want your mother to know about our son, I respected your wishes and told Angela she was not to send one to her."

"Are you sure, Temperance? Because Jared said she has our address now and she wants to come visit!"

Drew fussed in her arms and let out a short cry.

"Please keep your voice down. I'm going to go feed him and lay him down for a nap. When he's asleep, we can talk. Quietly."

She walked up the stairs toward the nursery. Before she reached Drew's room, however, she heard the jingling of car keys and the front door slam. She went into the nursery and peered out the window, seeing her very angry husband climb into their car and drive away.

* * *

Booth pulled up outside a small apartment building and honked three times. Minutes later, Teddy Parker walked to Booth's car and leaned in the open passenger window.

"I knew that was you honking. Are you okay?"

"Where are we going?"

Booth didn't answer and began to drive away.

"Seel, are you okay?"

"Do I look okay, Parker?"

"No. What did you do? Or what did Bren do? Or what did Drew do?"

"What? No, he didn't do anything."

"But Bren did?"

"No!"

"Then why are you mad?"

"Did I tell you about my mother?"

Teddy shook his head and Booth began his story from the beginning: his childhood.

"So, you're pissed because Angela told your mom that she's a grandma?"

Booth nodded once as he pulled into a parking spot.

"What are we doing here?"

"Getting my mind off all of that bullshit I just told you about," Booth told him as they walked toward the casino entrance.

* * *

"Jack, is Ange around? I need to speak with her," Brennan said into the phone.

"Hey, Bren! Yeah, hold on! Hey, Angie, Bren's on the phone for you!" he called. She could hear shuffling on the other end of the call and the phone exchanging hands.

"Hey, sweetie! What's up?"

"Hi, Ange. Is Booth there?"

"No, is everything alright?"

"I don't know, Angela."

"Brennan, if something's wrong, you can tell me."

"This afternoon, Booth became upset and when I went to put Drew down for his nap, he left. He hasn't been back. I don't know what's going on."

"Why was he upset?"

"Why did you send Lizzie a birth announcement when I specifically asked you not to?"

"Bren, she deserves to know."

"Ange, I'm sorry but she doesn't. She abandoned him. You don't know what that feels like. If I knew where my parents and brother are, or if they're even alive, I know I wouldn't tell them about Drew. We are not about to set our son up for abandonment."

Angela didn't respond. She kept quiet for a moment while she thought of the best to tell her friend.

"Sweetie, I'm sorry. I didn't think of it that way. Jared told me before the baby was born about how much Lizzie wanted to get to know you and get to know Booth again. I was just trying to help, sweetie, I promise."

"I'm…," Brennan took a deep breath, "I'm not mad exactly. But I just thought Booth was coming over to yell at you. I don't know where he is. He's never done this before."

"Call Teddy," Angela suggested, "He's probably blowing off steam at his place."

"Yeah, I will. Thanks, Ange."

"No problem. And I'm sorry for making Booth mad at you."

"It's not your fault. He's mad at the world."

* * *

**A/N: So, I know some of you may be mad at me right now, but you know the drill: _Everything will work out in the end_. I like throwing parts of their lives from the series into my stories since it was the writers in the first place who made the characters. Anyway, let me know what you think!**


	3. Being Drunk is a lot like loving you

"Come on, Seel, let's get you home."

"I don't think so."

"Bren is probably worried about you. You took off in the middle of your first anniversary. I hope you got her a good present to make up for this or she's never going to forgive you."

"Once I win all this money, I'll buy her something nice," Booth swore.

Teddy shook his head. "I think it's time to go, Sarge," he addressed Booth with the title in hopes of getting his undivided attention.

"No way, Staff Sergeant Parker. Master Sergeant ranks higher. Nice try, though."

"Seel, I'm not kidding. I'm exhausted. You're gonna feel guilty in the morning about this. I know Bren is bringing in the big bucks as a professor and all but she's going to be pissed when Drew doesn't have a college fund."

"She works at Georgetown. He can go to college for free there."

Teddy was starting to get desperate. He needed to get his buddy home before something bad happened.

"That's not the point, Booth. Didn't you say you were going to start helping Bren more with the baby?"

"She has to feed him anyway."

Teddy watched as a waitress set another drink down next to Booth, while he placed another bet on the game he was playing.

"Make you a deal, you lose this hand, we go home. If you win, we stay for another hour. Deal?"

Booth drunkenly smiled up at Teddy and stuck out his hand to seal the deal. Like Teddy had predicted, Booth lost most of his previous winnings in his latest hand and he dejectedly stood from the blackjack table. Grabbing his fresh glass of whiskey, he leaned on Parker as he staggered toward the door.

Knowing Booth wasn't about to give up the car keys without a fight, Teddy slid his hand slowly into Booth's pack pocket, wrapping a finger around the key ring and quickly pulling his set of keys out. Surprised the sniper didn't notice what had just transpired, he held his friend up, unwilling to let him fall.

"You're lucky I know better than to drive. You're a horrible pickpocket," Booth slurred.

Teddy ignored him and climbed into the driver's seat as soon as Booth was safely in the car. They arrived back to Booth and Brennan's Georgetown neighborhood late into the night but almost all the lights were on in their house.

"Okay, Seel, you're so drunk right now you're probably not going to remember this in the morning but I'm going to tell you anyway. The next time you decide to go gamble away your life savings, don't expect me to help. I'll come get you and bring you home, but you just lost yourself a drinking buddy. And I'm saying this for your own good. Don't you dare push your wife away. You better fix this. Here she comes. I can't tell if she's pissed or just glad to see you," Teddy told him as Brennan flipped on the front porch lights and ran outside. He expected her to be furious, frantic even. But her calm demeanor threw him for a loop.

"Hi, Teddy. He's been with you all night?"

He nodded. "I tried to get him to come home earlier. I'm sorry, Bren."

She shook her head and smiled slightly. "I have to get back inside. Drew's upstairs, waiting for me to feed him. Would you help him in?"

"Sure."

"I'm fine," Booth added slowly, "I can get inside by myself."

Brennan ignored him and kept her eyes on Teddy. "Thanks for looking out for him, Park. I'm just going to have him sleep on the couch tonight. There's no way either of us could help him up the stairs successfully."

Teddy silently agreed and watched her run back inside and up the stairs to her son, leaving the door wide open for Booth and Teddy.

"She's mad at me," Booth sighed.

"Way to state the obvious, bud," Teddy mumbled as he moved to help Booth out of the car.

"I really fucked up, didn't I?"

"Yeah, Seel, you fucked up. But you're a romantic. You'll find some way to make it up to her."

* * *

Brennan woke up the next morning wishing the day before had been completely a dream. Their first anniversary had been ruined by a night of gambling and drinking all because her husband refused to reconnect with his mother.

Through the monitor, she could hear her son fussing, stating to anyone who would listen that he was ready to get up. She quickly made her way to his room and picked up Drew out of the crib. After nursing him and changing his diaper, mother and son made their way down the stairs. When she was only half way down, she could hear the retching in the first floor bathroom, signaling to her that her husband was wake and probably regretting the night before.

She stood where she was on the stairs and watched him cringe at the change of light from the bathroom to the living room where he laid back down on the couch and caught her eye.

"Hi, babe," he said.

Brennan didn't say anything, just continued down the stairs and set Drew in his high chair. As she set to work fixing herself a fruit salad for breakfast, she began to talk to Drew. Booth winced as he heard his wife speak a language that was completely foreign but still familiar. She was speaking to their son in French, much like his mother used to do when he was a child. The thought of Lizzie made him furious at Angela again but he now saw there was no reason for him to become so angry. He had messed up, fought with Bren on their first anniversary and went back on his promise to help with the baby and not be a grouch. She was rattling off something about fruit, picking up on a few words he had learned in his childhood. He knew Bren was fluent in several languages and if Drew picked up even one, his son could have an advantage in school and Booth had to fight the throbbing urge to ask Brennan to speak English. He attempted to go over the events of the day and night before, the farther he went in the timeline, the blurrier things became. But he remembered Teddy's advice and began to think of a way to apologize to Bren, who was still chattering with Drew in French. He watched her sit down at the table next to Drew's high chair with a large bowl of fruit. He stood from the couch and, after regaining his balance, walked to an empty chair at the kitchen table. She glanced at him as she speared a blueberry with her fork and continued talking to Drew, who was watching her every move.

"Bren…"

Drew looked over at his father and gave him a wide grin.

"Bren! Did you see that? He smiled! That was his first smile!"

"He smiled yesterday, after he woke up from his afternoon nap. You were gone," she told him bitterly.

"Oh. Bren, I…I don't know what to say or how to apologize. But…will you just look at me please? I'm trying to tell you that I fucked up and I'm sorry."

She raised her eyebrows at his choice of words and her eyes flickered over to Drew who was happily watching the exchange and pounding his open palms on the tray in front of him.

"Sorry, I know, I gotta start watching what I say. But I know I really, _really_ messed up. I shouldn't have screamed at you like that. It's not your fault Angela didn't listen to you. Look, once I get this through my head that my mom wants to be part of our lives, maybe we can take a weekend trip to Philly. I'm sure Sadie and Sasha would want to play with their nephew," he forced out the last word like it was hard for him to grasp.

"Are you saying this because I want Drew to know his family or are you saying this because _you _want Drew to know his family?"

"Both," he told her, though he wasn't sure how true it was.

"She's not going to abandon him. The situation is different now, Booth. Your father is out of the picture, Lizzie has moved on and is trying to be happy. I know she regrets leaving you and Jared, but your father almost killed her. And she tried to get you out of there too. She did the best she could and you're punishing her for giving up. People make mistakes, Booth."

"You want me to forgive and forget? It's not that easy, Bren."

"I'm not asking you to forget. Just work on the forgiving part."

"I'll try," he compromised.

"That's all I'm asking."

"Are you still mad at me?"

"I never was."

He was confused. "You didn't talk to me. I left and I didn't come home last night. And I'm pretty sure you were up when Teddy brought me home, not that I really remember that…"

"I was just worried about you. Like you said, you left and you didn't come home. I've never seen you like that. It was...frightening," she admitted.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I'm going to plan something to make up for yesterday."

"What is it?"

"Even if I knew, babe, I wouldn't tell you," he said with a wink.


	4. You Win I Win We Lose

"Dr. Brennan, how would you feel about going on a dig in Tibet?"

"I would love to. But…"

"Your son is still extremely young," Dr. Kent finished for her.

"Yes. I'm sure if I feel comfortable leaving him quite yet. And I doubt I could take him with," she told him.

"It's too dangerous over there to take a child," Dr. Kent agreed, "But surely your husband is capable of taking care of Andrew."

"He is. But I've never left him for such an extended amount of time. How long are we talking?"

"We'd be there for a few months."

Her heart sank. It would be too hard for her to leave Drew for months at a time.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Kent. I'd love to go, but I can't leave Drew for that long. I need to stay here. It would also be difficult to leave my classes under the supervision of graduate students. The last time I did that, half of my class failed the final exam because they didn't learn the material."

"I understand, Temperance."

She left Kent's office almost feeling sorry for herself. She knew she would be missing a valuable educational experience, but her family was more important. She packed up some papers to grade and stopped at the university's day care facilities for employees. She thanked the workers for caring for Drew while she was working and took him home.

"Where's your dad?" Brennan muttered to Drew as they walked through the front door. Booth had planned to start looking for jobs, now that he had almost fully recovered from his surgery.

An hour later, the front door open and Booth called, "Hello?"

"We're in here!" Brennan called from the kitchen. He followed her voice and found his wife sitting at the kitchen table multitasking. She was feeding Drew his new cereal while adjusting facial tissue markers on a blackened skull.

"Shit! Bren! What the hell is that?"

"Booth, he may not exactly understand what you're saying but he does still process it. And I'm doing some extra work."

"Yeah, but…he's barely a foot from that thing! Why do you have a skull on our table? I eat there!"

"I plan on sanitizing the table as soon as I'm done with my work. Would you mind feeding him? I'd like to finish this quickly."

"Yeah…uh, sure. Will you just put that thing away? It's freaking me out."

She smiled at him. "I'm almost done. What did you do today while I was at work?"

"I…I think I found a job," he told her, nervously.

"That's great, Booth!"

"I'd have to be gone for a while though. I talked to one of the bosses and worked it out that I can come home on weekends and hopefully I can be assigned to a field office around here."

"Wait…What is it?"

"FBI. I'd have to train for twenty one weeks in Quantico."

"Oh…Well…Virginia's not that far away. Would you stay there during the week or could you commute?"

"They have dorms that I have to stay in."

"You're going to take the job?"

"I want to."

"Why didn't you?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay with it before I just took off for Quantico."

She nodded. "Well, thank you for asking me but it's your job. You're the one that has to like it."

"I know. But I'll be gone for a little over five months and I'll only be here on weekends. I hate leaving you and Drew. I already had to do it once and I'm not sure I want to do it again."

She looked up from her skull and watched him feed Drew. "We can handle this. If this is what you want to do, you should take this opportunity."

"Okay…I, uh, gotta think about it. I have to give them an answer by tomorrow so I don't have long to think. I'm…gonna go over to Teddy's."

Brennan nodded once, knowing that she and Drew would probably be on their own again tonight. "When are you coming home?"

"Probably late. Don't wait up," he told her, placing a quick peck on her head, waving bye to his son, and running out the door again.

* * *

"Are you sure you wanna do this, Booth? I mean, I thought you didn't wanna leave Drew and Bren again."

Booth sighed and ran his hand over his face. He was sitting outside of Teddy's apartment building, sharing a bottle of scotch with his friend. Teddy had been keeping an eye on Booth lately, after their incident at the casino. He didn't want Booth passing out on the couch again and worrying Bren.

"This job is what I want. But you're right. I don't want to leave my family. But it's only a few months and I'm going to request that I get assigned to the D.C. field office. Have you found anything yet?"

"Nah. I'm thinking about going back to the Army but I'm not sure I want to."

"You should come to training with me. Apply to bureau! 'Cause this is going to suck going it alone."

Teddy laughed. "I am not the suit-and-tie type."

"Well, shit, neither am I but it's the closest thing I can find to the Army that's not the Army."

Teddy laughed again. "You've got a point. I'm sure Claire wants me to get a job. I think she's getting annoyed with me when she gets up early and comes home late from work and sees me lounging on the couch watching TV."

"Yeah, I don't doubt that. I'm sure Bren thinks the same thing; especially she takes Drew to the daycare at the university so I'm home by myself all day."

"So you're really doing this?"

Booth nodded slowly and took a short sip of scotch. "Yeah, I think so. I gotta call the bureau to tell them but yeah, I'm gonna do it."

"What does Bren think?" Teddy asked.

"She told me to do what I want. I can read her like a book. She's being supportive but then again, I haven't really been all that supportive. I feel like crap. I haven't been there for either of them but after this whole training thing, I don't have to leave them. I can actually start taking care of my family."

"Not if you keep drinking on a nightly basis and gambling everything away," Teddy pointed out. He knew it sounded harsh but he needed his friend to realize that his weekend trips to the casino and constant drinking was not going to help his home situation.

Booth began to get defensive. "Well what else am I supposed to take my anger out on? My frustrations? I can't be at home when I get pissed. I'm not going to turn into my father."

"You're not the kind of guy that beats his wife. I know you, Seel. That's not you."

"But I am. I'm the kind of guy that gets drunk, just like my old man. The only difference is I don't kick the shit out of my family."

Teddy smirked. "You just proved my point."

Booth looked up at him. Teddy just nodded once and shrugged. They both glanced down at the half empty bottle of scotch and then looked back at each other. Booth slowly pushed the bottle away.

"I have to stop. I can't get rip-roaring drunk every time something pisses me off. You gotta help me, Park. If you see me drink, kick my ass."

"Deal. You need to get home. You want me to drive you?"

Booth nodded. "You comin' to the bureau tomorrow?"

Teddy shrugged. "Why not? I gotta get off my ass anyway."

* * *

**A/N: Someone had asked me if Booth was ever going to hit them. One, I'd never write something like that and two, that's something we all know Booth would never do. It's just not in his character. So have no fear, there won't be any abuse in this story. I'm going out of town this weekend and I won't have access to internet so hopefully I can post the next chapter before I go. Please, please, please let me know what you think. Your feedback and suggestions are always appreciated. **


	5. I Believe There Is Magic

_**Twenty one weeks later**_

"Wow, you're getting heavy," Brennan coughed out as Drew climbed on her stomach and perched himself there. He was almost eight months old now and Brennan was having a hard time keeping up. Drew was pulling himself around and crawling all over the place. She was lying on floor, watching her son play.

They were waiting for Booth to come home. He had completed his training and was due home any minute. She was thankful that his training was done. While she had managed caring for Drew and handling the increasing work load the university was giving her, she was glad Booth would be around more often to help. Drew was even sleeping through the night now and he was starting to feed himself. She knew Booth was going to be hard on himself for missing out on some of Drew's biggest milestones but she knew this would be better for all of them in the long run.

The front door opened and Brennan could tell it was Booth.

"Hello?" he called, "Bren? Where are you?"

"We're in Drew's room!"

She could hear his pounding footsteps coming up the stairs and rounding the corner to Drew's room.

"Hiya, big guy! What are you doin' sittin' on mom?"

At the sound of his father's voice, Drew began to bounce, making Bren cringe at the pain. He giggled loudly as Booth pulled him of Brennan's stomach and blew a big raspberry on his cheek. Brennan smiled at the sight and stood to greet her husband. She kissed him on the cheek and turned to take Drew from his arms.

"Nah, I got him. What are we making for dinner?"

"I picked up a steak for you so I'll let you fry that up the way you like it and I'm just going to make some pasta for me. Here, let me take him," she offered.

"Bren, I got him! You go get your pasta ready. I wanna play him. I can handle him for a little bit," Booth assured.

Brennan raised her eyes in suspicion. "Okay," she relented, "just check his diaper before you two come downstairs. He hasn't…eliminated his waste in a day or two so if he doesn't go by tomorrow, I'm going to take him to the doctor."

Booth made a face at the update on his son's diaper status and said, "I'll change him before we come down."

With that, Brennan turned to walk out of the room. But she didn't get too far. Drew's cries rang in her ears as she doubled back to his room.

"I don't know what I did. You left and he just started crying. I didn't do anything!" Booth attempted to explain. As she came closer, Drew stuck his small arms out to her and Brennan pulled him close. He threw himself at his mom and buried his head in the crook of her neck.

"What did I do?" Booth asked. Drew seemed fine now that Bren was holding him.

She gave Booth a sympathetic smile and hesitated on her answer. "He's not used to…strangers."

He scoffed. "I'm his dad! I'm not a stranger!"

"You haven't been home. He's just used to me. He does the same thing to Angela when I leave him with her."

"That doesn't make me feel that much better, Bren. I don't want him to be afraid of me."

She rolled her eyes. "He's not afraid of you, Booth! He just doesn't know you!"

"Yeah, like that's any better," he muttered, the sarcasm so thick, she picked up on it.

"You're going to be home a lot more now that you're done with training, am I correct?"

He nodded.

"Well, give him a week or two. He'll get used to you quickly!"

Booth watched his wife and son walk off, fighting the urging feeling to go down a bottle of scotch and kick some one's ass over a game of craps. The fact that his son refused to stay in his arms and his wife called him a stranger sure made him feel like shit. She was right; he knew Drew would warm up to him now that his training was over but it didn't make him feel like a dad. He had had that feeling ever since he first met his son. Brennan, despite what she had thought, was a natural with him. She knew exactly what was wrong with him the moment he made any noise. She could make him giggle at the drop of a hat and she was already trying to teach him three other languages on top of English. He didn't know what he could teach his son. He didn't know what he could do to make him laugh or what to do when he cried. He felt like a failure as a father, but he was determined to turn that around.

* * *

It was an early February morning and the weather in D.C. was frigid. Booth, for once, was glad to have so many layers. His new suits felt stiff and he couldn't wait to loosen up the muted colors with some of Pops' old flashy ties. It was his first day at the FBI and he was ready to get his assignment. He had already heard that he would get to stay in D.C. but it was whether or not he'd get that lone available post in homicide that made him anxious. Bren was already up with Drew and he could hear the two of them holding a conversation about nothing. Drew was babbling and making all sorts of noises while Bren spoke back to him in Spanish. As soon as Booth was satisfied with his appearance for his first day at the bureau, he stampeded down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Morning!"

"Good morning, Booth," Brennan said. She was mixing some cereal for Drew, complete with mashed bananas. Booth watched as she made the goop and scooped a large spoonful into Drew's mouth.

He squirmed, thinking of how gross that must be and wondering how in God's name could anyone, even a baby, eat something that looked so nasty.

"Does he really eat all of that?"

She nodded. "You look nice. But don't you have to wear a black tie too? And aren't those the socks I gave you for football?"

He looked down at his appearance. The dark red tie stood out from his black suit and the knee high tie-dyed athletic socks Booth had received freshman year of college from Bren flashed brightly against his black shoes.

"Yeah! I wanted some good luck today. I won four national championships wearing these socks! These socks are magical!"

"There's no such thing as magic, Booth," she reminded him.

"Hey! I was the only quarterback in NCAA history to win four, count 'em..._four_...national titles!"

"Technically, you still are. No other quarterback, or team for that matter, has won so many championships in a row."

"I'm such a stud," he said, a grin spreading widely across his face.

Brennan ignored his comment. "What's on the back of your tie?"

Booth grinned even wider and lifted his tie to reveal a fifties-style pin-up woman. "It was Pops'! Isn't it awesome?"

She rolled her eyes and looked at the clock. "What time do you have to be at the bureau?"

He looked at the clock and bolted toward the door. "Like in twenty minutes. I have to go! How many classes do you have today?"

"None. I'm just taking Drew to the office to pick up some papers to grade and one of my grad students has asked me to be her thesis advisor so I'm meeting up with her for an hour and I'll be home. I should be home before noon."

"Okay, I'll call you. I love you," he said, after finding his car keys and kissing both Drew and Bren.

"I love you too. Good luck," she called after him.

"I don't need luck, baby! I got my socks!"


	6. A Lot Of Things Different

"Have you talked to Seeley yet today?"

Brennan shook her head. "No, but I don't expect him home late."

"I haven't seen Seeley ever! In my whole life!" Sasha cried.

"Yes, you have. We met you when you were a baby, when you were as little as Drew," Brennan told her. When Brennan had gotten home from the university, she had found a very grown Sadie pounding on her front door. At first, Brennan assumed Sadie was alone. But then she noticed Lizzie and a girl she assumed to be Sasha sitting in their car parked on the curb. Lizzie had wanted to make sure either Booth or Brennan was home before completely unloading her younger daughter. Brennan, of course, was shocked to see Booth's mother and sisters.

"Is he here yet?" Sasha whined.

"He'll be home eventually, Sasha. Just calm down," Lizzie told her firmly.

Sadie was pacing back and forth between the couch and the front window. After several reassurances to both girls that their brother would be home soon, Lizzie offered to help Brennan make dinner.

"The only problem is that I'm not sure I have food that the girls would like," Brennan admitted, "Booth seems to think the food I eat is only food that farms animals eat. I'm quite confused as to why he thinks that since I buy it at the market on the corner."

Lizzie chuckled. "I'm sure we can find something for the girls."

"Do you have pizza?" Sadie asked.

"Or macaroni and cheese?" Sasha added.

"Neither. But I can make some mac-n-cheese from scratch. Your…brother likes what I make better than what comes from the box. He says it's his favorite," Brennan stumbled on the word 'brother'. It was hard for Brennan to grasp the fact that when Sasha was born, she was dealing with her parents' abandonment.

"Mac-n-cheese!" the girls cheered.

It wasn't too long later, while Sadie and Sasha were setting the table and Bren and Lizzie were serving the mac-n-cheese, that they heard the front door open. The sisters looked at each other and their eyes lit up.

"Seeley!" they shouted, abandoning their chore and darted toward the door. Snatching Drew from his high chair, Bren followed quickly, hoping to explain to him what was going on.

"Uh…hi," he said as Sasha plowed into his legs and Sadie wrapped her arms around him. He looked up to Bren with a panicked expression for some sort of explanation.

"Lizzie and the girls are here for a visit," she said simply.

"I can see that…why?"

"They wanted to meet Drew and catch up with us. They haven't seen us in a rather long time."

He nodded slowly and glanced at Lizzie, who stood in the kitchen doorway not wanting to completely overwhelm him.

"Do you remember me?" Sadie asked.

Booth put on a brave face and smiled. "Of course! You were a lot smaller but I remember you."

"I bet you don't even know who I am!" Sasha said, daring him to guess.

"I bet your name is….Bob!" he teased. She giggled and told him to guess again. After several 'incorrect' guesses, Booth finally found her name and the young girl was thrilled to know her brother knew who she was. It was comforting for Bren to know that not only was he good with children his sisters' ages, but that he wasn't going to hold a grudge against Sadie and Sasha for what their mother did.

"Bren, can I talk to you upstairs for a minute?" he said, attempting to pry his sister off his legs.

She nodded and asked the girls to help Lizzie finish dinner. They agreed but before they ran off, Sasha turned around and said, "We made mac-n-cheese! Your favorite!"

Booth smiled slightly at his youngest sister and followed Brennan up the stairs. The only one who spoke was Drew, who cooed to his father as they made their way to their bedroom.

"Bren…"

"Let me talk first. I didn't invite them. They just showed up."

"Babe, I'm not mad, okay. I'm just…surprised. When did they get here?" He shrugged off his suit jacket and loosened his tie as he took Drew from her arms.

"When I got home from the university. I haven't gotten any work done today," she added as a frustrated side note.

"How long are they staying?"

Brennan shrugged, moving to hang his suit jacket and put his tie back in the drawer. "We can ask them at dinner. How was work?"

He grinned. "Pretty good."

"Did you get the assignment you wanted?"

Booth's face dropped. "No, but guess who did…"

"Teddy?"

"You're a good guesser. He got the only posting in the homicide department but at least I didn't get stuck with cyber crimes. I'm in the cold case unit."

"Is your posting good or bad?"

He shrugged. "I think it'll be fine. I don't have to partner up with anyone unless a case goes active again so I kinda like that part."

Booth set Drew on the floor in front of him and watched him scoot on his diaper-clad bottom over to Bren. Getting ready to change into more comfortable clothes, he slid off his old worn out socks and balled them up, shooting them over Drew's head into the laundry hamper. The baby giggled and Bren watched as Drew crawled back to Booth, putting a large smile on the father's face.

"Do you ever miss it?" she asked, glancing back down to the socks.

"Miss what?"

"Football. You were going to be the best player in the professional league and then you left it behind for the Army. Do you regret your decision?"

Booth sat on the bed, looking at Drew, who was staring up at him. She waited for his answer, knowing certain things wouldn't have happened had he gone to the pros.

"Why does everyone think I was going to be the best player in the league? Adam was the one who got drafted first."

"Your friend only got picked first because you took yourself out of the draft! We watched the coverage. All of the sportscasters were saying you would've been the obvious first pick and that you were insane to give up what you have!"

Reliving his glory days at Northwestern in his mind brought a smile to his face, but he didn't regret joining the Army. The feeling of honor and duty had overpowered his desire and fate to play football with the big boys. He knew if he hadn't gone into the Army, he could be making millions of dollars, just for tossing the pigskin.

"I don't regret what I did. I just wish I could be around for you two more. I'd be gone a lot either way. Remember away games in school? I hated being away from you. At least now, with this job at the bureau, I can be home at night with you and Drew. I'll admit…I do miss playing ball. It was the only thing I was ever good at…beside hockey…and now, after coming back from _there_, I know football is not going to happen. Training was hell on my feet. I mean, I'm fine. But there's no way I could just pick up the ball again and run a few plays as smoothly as I used to," he then laughed, "I'm twenty five years old and I'm talking like I'm an old man."

Brennan smiled at him and sat on the bed next to him. "You know…I loved watching you play football. I miss watching you on the field. You were always happy there. I still don't really understand the game but what I do understand is that you loved it. But, as you said, I did not enjoy the times you had to travel for your out-of-state games. I was always alone and I had a very hard time explaining to people in the sports bars that we were dating. No one believed me!"

They both chuckled and watched Drew scoot around on the floor. Booth envied his son. He had never known sadness or had to deal with the harsh realities of the world. He wanted Drew to stay little forever.

"We should go back down stairs. They're probably waiting for us," she said.

Booth nodded. "I heard we're having my favorite," he said, another smirk covering his face.

* * *

The three came down the stairs and went straight into the kitchen where Lizzie was pushing the girls' chairs in. They sat anxiously, waiting for everyone to come to the table.

"Hi!" Sasha called out to them as they walked into the kitchen. Booth smiled at the girl and put Drew in his high chair. As soon as they were all sitting, the girls dug into their meal.

"Mmm, Bren, this is really good," Sadie said, bits of macaroni tumbling out of her mouth.

"Sadie. Please, not with your mouth full," Lizzie begged her daughter.

Sadie gulped down her bite and looked at Booth. "You know, I think Sasha looks like you. Mom has a picture of you when you were her age and you two look a lot alike," she said.

Blush rose to Lizzie's cheeks as she looked between her three children. And now that it had been brought up, Brennan was starting to notice the similarities between her husband and his youngest sister. The underlying facial structure was only a tad different since Sasha technically wasn't a Booth. But they both carried features of their mother.

Brennan must have looked skeptical because Lizzie stood and left the kitchen. She returned just a minute later with a photo in her hand. She held it out to Brennan. It was old, the creases and bent corners showed its age.

"He was almost five in that picture," Lizzie explained. Brennan looked it over and immediately saw the resemblance. Both shared gold curly locks that Brenan could already see forming on Drew's head.

Brennan looked up at Booth and smiled. "I've never seen a picture of you that young before. You were quite adorable."

Booth grinned and stuck his hand out to look at the picture. She passed it to Booth who let out a loud belly laugh as soon as he saw it.

"This can't be me! I do not remember having blonde hair."

Lizzie smiled. "You did! So did Jared! I guess it runs in the family," she laughed, glancing over to Drew, who was sucking on his fingers and staring up at the ceiling fan.

Booth caught himself laughing along with her. He became serious once again and asked, "Where are you guys staying? It's too late to be heading back to Philly tonight."

Lizzie shrugged. "We'll probably just go find a hotel."

"Well, we have plenty of extra rooms for them. They can stay in the in-laws suite. It's not being used since Jack and Angela moved out."

"Bren," Booth hissed, giving her one quick shake of his head.

"No, it's fine," Lizzie cut in, "We'll find a hotel. Or we might just go home."

"Mommy!" Sasha whined, "I play with Drew again tomorrow!"

"Wait, it's a weekday. Don't they have school?" Booth asked.

"I've been homeschooling them," Lizzie explained, "Sadie's a grade and half ahead of where other kids her age are and the schools around us can't really help a girl like her."

Booth sighed. "I'll go make up your beds," he relented. He walked down the hall to the in-laws suite and his sniper senses knew instantly who was following him.

"Sasha, did you finish your dinner?"

"Yeah! It was really good. I know why it's your favorite. I like Bren."

Booth smiled at her. "I do too."

"Well, I hope so 'cause you married her. Why don't you want me and Mommy and Sadie to stay with you? Do you hate us?"

Booth sighed. He had no idea how to explain something like this to a four year old. "It's hard to explain. I don't hate you. I could never hate my family. But…Mom," he choked out the word, "and I had…problems when I was little."

"So you don't hate me or Sadie, you just hate Mom."

"No, I don't hate Mom. But I…"

"Sasha, are you bothering Seeley?"

"No, Mommy! We're just talking about you."

Booth knew she meant it to sound innocent but he knew he would have to explain himself. He knew he needed to work this out with Lizzie.

"Bren was asking if you'd like to read Drew a bedtime story. Do you want to go pick one out?"

The little girl didn't even answer, but ran down the hall to find her sister-in-law and nephew. It was mindboggling to Booth that a girl that young had a nephew and a sister-in-law.

"She loves your little boy," Lizzie commented.

Booth just nodded as he pulled clean sheets from the linen closet.

"Seeley, I'm sorry for just showing up today. I know you probably would've liked some warning that I was here but when the girls figured out that the picture of the baby on our fridge was Drew, I had to bring them."

Booth continued to work in silence while she talked. "I wish you didn't feel like you had to keep him from me. Jared said you didn't want me to abandon Drew. That's why you didn't tell me about him. Jared has to tell me everything about you, you know. Like when you joined the Army, when you and Bren got married, everything. You were the one that sought me out in the first place."

He could feel the anger boiling higher and higher the more his mother spoke.

"Seeley, will you say something? Please?"

"What? What do you want me to say? That I forgive you for what you did? Because I don't know if that's ever going to happen. You hardly tried. When you tried to take us from dad, you barely did anything! You gave up. I thought parents were supposed be willing to give their lives for their kids. Or am I getting this wrong? You were supposed to save Jared and I from Dad, but I was the one that had to do the protecting. I was seven!"

"I was weak! Your father was a horrible man! I did what I could. That was all I knew how. I regret leaving you and Jared behind. It was the worst decision of my life. I know it will haunt me 'til the day I die. I'd do it differently if I could. You don't have to forgive me, Seeley. I don't expect you to. But you're only hurting your son and your wife by pushing me away."

He scoffed. "Why do you say that?"

"Bren doesn't have any family. You told me that the first time I met her. You and Drew are her family, and she wants Drew to have more. You don't have to like me. Just be nice to me for Drew."

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so this is my last update for the weekend and maybe a day or two longer. I won't have internet access for my laptop this weekend and I have a new idea for a one-shot that popped into my head today that just will not leave me alone. So I'm sure this isn't what you expected from this update but I figured that since it's longer than normal, it will help with the break between updates. Thanks for reading and please leave a review if you feel so inclined :)**


	7. French Kissing Life

Booth went up the stairs after parting from Lizzie to find both girls sitting with Brennan and Drew on their bed, piles of children's books surrounding them.

"Girls, I don't think we're going to have time to read all of these books to him tonight. Why don't you pick out one each and you can read more to him in the morning? All three of you need to get to bed soon."

Booth sat in the hall, listening to his wife and sisters read to his son. He had never imagined he'd have such a big family, that his mother, of all people, would be back in his life and begging to stay.

"Goodnight, baby Drew," he heard Sasha croon. Sadie ran out of the room and down the stairs without seeing Booth. Sasha came skipping out soon after and tripped over her own feet. She landed hard but without sound. Booth stood and scooped her up, checking her over for any obvious injuries.

"You okay?"

"MmHmm," she mumbled. She leaned up and placed a small kiss on his forehead, "Drew is super cute. You know what?"

"What?"

"He needs a sister."

"You think so?"

"Yes."

It was such a simple conversation between siblings but there was something about Sasha's presence he loved. It wasn't that he hated his other sister, she didn't do anything to him, but it was the younger girl's demeanor and take on the entire family situation.

"Well, I think you better tell Bren that," Booth told her, knowing his wife would probably turn that idea down.

"I already did."

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Really?"

"Really."

"Okay, smarty pants, are you going to tell me what Bren said?"

"She said it was up to you."

"That is exactly what I said," Brennan whispered behind them, holding a sleeping Drew, "I would appreciate it if you two kept it down just a little bit so he doesn't wake up."

The two reunited siblings kissed the baby goodnight one last time before Brennan put him in his crib.

"You should probably go to bed yourself, missy. You look awfully sleepy," Booth whispered to his sister.

"I am. Do you have to go to work tomorrow?"

"Yes, but I'll hurry home. Okay, me and you are going to have a mission when I get back tomorrow."

"What's that?"

"We're going to try to teach Drew to walk?"

"Really?"

"Shh! Yeah, but you gotta go to bed, okay?"

"'Kay. G'night, Seeley. Love you."

"Love you, too, Sasha. Goodnight." He watched her scurry down the stairs before going into his own room to get ready for bed. He changed into pajama pants and went into the bathroom where Brennan was brushing her teeth. She moved over to make room for him in their small bathroom while he slid the comb through his short hair.

"Did you really say that to Sasha? That it was up to me?"

"I did."

"Is that the truth or were you just saying that to calm her down?"

She rinsed out her mouth and placed her toothbrush back in the cup. She then stared down Booth through the mirror for a few seconds as if thinking of a different answer.

"I am open to the idea. Although, Drew isn't even walking yet and to bring another infant into the house at this stage would cause chaos!"

"Why didn't you call me to tell me that Lizzie was here?" He wasn't mad. He knew in the back of his mind that she probably a rational, logical reason for not telling him and as it turned out, he was right.

"It was your first day of work. I was allowing you to adjust to your surroundings, meet new people and establish relationships with your superiors," she explained, "You didn't need any distractions. Are you upset?"

"No! Do you want more kids?"

"Yes."

"Now?"

"No."

"Good."

"Good."

They finished getting ready for bed in silence, dancing around each other like they did every other night. He crawled into bed after her. She sat up, red pen in hand with a thesis paper on her lap. There were red marks everywhere and Booth instantly felt bad for the student. He knew Brennan was probably a tough professor.

"Put it away, Bren. Come to bed," he whispered as he rested his head on her shoulder. She smiled and tossed the paper and pen on the bedside table. She dipped her head down and her lips met with his. She moved on top of him and he let her take control.

"Mmm, I love it when you do that," he mumbled.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry my updates have been so few and far between (and that this one is _SO _short) but my muse for this story has been a bit dead. I've heard spoilers for the next season and I'm pretty sure that's what's been committing the muse killings. So in order to get back on track on this story, I'm going to write some stuff to get that out of my system. I'm very sorry for the lack of updates that will occur in the next few weeks.**

**On another note, please let me know what you think. I think after the angstiness of the last update, we were all due for some fluff :)**


	8. Better As A Memory

The days and weeks passed and even though Lizzie and his sisters went back to Philly, they kept in touch. Lizzie was even helping Brennan plan Drew's first birthday party. Booth's time at the FBI in their cold case unit had been successful so far, solving more cold cases in four months than the rest of the unit did in the last year. Jack and Angela had eloped, much to no one's surprise and Jared was getting ready to head off to the Naval academy, despite Booth's jokes and jabs against the Navy. Drew's first birthday was only a week off, and to everyone's surprise, though no one was complaining, Booth invited Lizzie, her husband, Sadie and Sasha to stay with them for a week to celebrate Independence Day and his son's birth. Drew was walking now and Booth and Brennan were having a hard time keeping up. Drew kept them on their toes. He spoke several words in several languages, thanks to Brennan and her genius skills. His curly blonde locks were already starting to straighten out and turn brown like his dad's.

It was the fourth of July and the small Booth house was packed. Teddy and his girlfriend had come, Jared had taken time off from packing for the academy to drive Pops down from Philly and his mother and her family had arrived early in the week. The plan was to grill some burgers, watch Drew destroy a slice of cake, open presents and then go down to the reflecting pool to watch the fireworks displays.

There was some unspoken tension between Teddy and Booth, since a year ago they both thought they were going to die in a foreign desert, but the cheerfulness surrounding them forced them to push that thought to the back of their minds and focus on the party.

Brennan stood next to Angela, who was videotaping Drew coat himself in chocolate frosting. Sasha pulled a chair up next to Brennan and stood on it to raise her closer to Bren's height. She tugged on Brennan's sleeve.

"Bren?"

"Hmm?" she mumbled, not taking her eyes off her son, who was having the time of his life.

"Where's your mommy? Didn't she want to be here?"

Angela and Brennan looked down at the little girl. She meant it as an innocent question but both older women were shocked at the question. Her parents were like an unwritten rule around them, don't bring them up and no one gets hurt.

"My mom…she…"

"Sasha," Booth swooped in and saved the day, "Wanna come help me get all of Drew's presents together? You can help him open them."

Brennan cringed at the mention of her mother. She wished her mom was here to see her grandson. Any time there was a gathering, it was always bittersweet for Bren. She had her surrogate family and she knew they would always be there for her, but deep down, she wanted her father, mother and brother around just like they used to be. She looked up at her husband and mouthed, _thanks._ He nodded and took his sister into the living room to find Drew's gifts. Angela looked concerned for her friend and made eye contact with Brennan, who shrugged it off and moved toward her son to begin cleaning the frosting off his face.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Booth and Sasha piled Drew's presents on the coffee table.

"Seeley?"

"Sasha?"

"Where's Bren's mommy and daddy?"

He didn't know how to explain a missing persons report to a four year old. He had to think of how they would explain it to Drew when he would inevitably ask.

"I'll…I'll tell you later, okay? Let's just get all this stuff ready for Drew."

The rest of the night went well. Drew acquired more toys than Booth and Brennan knew what to do with and the fireworks on the National Mall were beautiful. Brennan was just thankful that the thunderous explosions didn't scare her son. After the fireworks were over, it was time for the little ones to go to bed. Like the night before, Brennan had Sadie and Sasha pick out stories for Drew and after they were over, the girls went downstairs to their parents while Booth and Brennan tucked Drew into his crib. When the couple came down the stairs to bid goodnight to their guests, they were met with a flood of questions from the girls.

"Can we see your wedding pictures?"

"Was your dress pretty?"

"Did you look handsome in your tux?"

Booth and Brennan looked at each other warily. Their wedding had not been exactly what the girls pictured. The somewhat spontaneous nuptials at the Philadelphia courthouse, deterred only a day by the need for witnesses, was brought on by the fear that should something happen to Booth when he was deployed, Brennan would not be the one to be notified.

"Well…" Booth stuttered, "It…wasn't quite what you guys think of as a wedding. We didn't have a cake or anything like that. Bren didn't have a bouquet…"

"Here," Brennan said, stepping away from her bookcase with a small photo album. She sat on the couch with the girls. It was full of polaroids taken outside the Philadelphia courthouse. There was Booth in his green service uniform and Brennan in her white sundress. It had been a sunny, warm day in late September when the leaves were changing and falling.

"Your brother had just gotten home from a trip the Army sent him on and Jared got in a car accident. Jack and Angela were our witnesses. I still have that dress, though…I haven't worn it since before Drew was born. I'm not sure if I can still fit into it."

"Of course you can, babe!"

Brennan rolled her eyes. "Anyway, as soon as we knew Jared was okay, we went down to the courthouse and applied for the marriage license. We had the judge waive the waiting period but we needed witnesses and since Jared was in the hospital and Hank was staying with him, we had Jack and Angela stop by Philadelphia on their way to New York."

"I haven't seen these! Where did they come from? I mean, I remember Angela taking pictures but I kinda forgot about it," Booth said, leaning behind the couch.

"It was a Christmas gift from Angela. It was to help me while you were gone and I was pregnant."

"So you didn't have a real wedding?" Sasha cried.

"Sasha, shh, Drew's sleeping," Brennan reminded her.

"Sasha, it was a real wedding, just like what you would normally think of. They're married. That's all that matters."

"You know what," Booth said, coming around the couch and pulling Bren to her feet, "I'm pretty sure I promised you a real wedding."

He wrapped his arms around her and she did the same to him. "Actually, if I recall, _I _was the one that promised you. I don't need an actually ceremony. But if you still want one…"

"Well, we never did have a honeymoon."

"Don't you count that entire week we stayed in the apartment having se-ˮ

"I don't think that is a conversation we should have when there are people around," Booth cut her off, a bright pink shade rising to his cheeks.

She smiled at him. "You're probably right. I'm going to head to bed. I have four lectures in the morning."

She said her goodnights and Booth came upstairs with her. As they got into bed, she snuggled up to Booth and pressed her toes against his calves.

"Jeez, Bren! Put some socks on!"

She laughed a bit. They talked about nothing for a while before Brennan started drifting off toward dream world.

"Bren?"

"Yes?"

"Do you ever think about finding Russ? Or your mom or dad?" They had last seen Russ during their freshman year of college at Northwestern. He had seen the couple's picture in the paper after Booth had won his first national title and had come to check on his baby sister. After seeing Booth was taking care of her, he left again. The last they knew, he was heading out to Hollywood to find some work schlepping on the sets.

"Only when I look at Drew," she answered.

"Well…Did you or Russ ever file a missing persons report?"

She nodded. "They did when I went into foster care."

"Do…I mean, I'm on the cold case unit…If you want me to, I could-ˮ

"Yes! Will you?"

"Of course, babe. You know I'd do anything for you," he whispered, but she was already asleep.


	9. Back Where I Come From

Booth sat at his desk, waiting for his computer to beep with results. His feet stretched out and arms folded behind his head relaxing, or trying to anyway. He was waiting to see what he could find on Matt and Christine Brennan. Bren had told him her father was a high school science teacher and her mother was a bookkeeper but that was all she could really remember. She had thought her mother had been born in July, even August perhaps, but she hadn't celebrated the day in so long that she was fuzzy on the details. She remembered their old station wagon with her elementary school bumper sticker on the back, but the plate number was the last thing on her mind as a fifteen year old.

Everything she had told him that morning over breakfast was what was in the missing persons report and it was leading him nowhere. He was running out of ideas and it was killing him to know he was going to tell her he didn't find a thing. He had called the small high school but he didn't tell them where he was going when he left. The small bookkeeping company her mother had worked for had since gone out of business with no one left to contact. Their car had also disappeared without a trace. It was Bren's parents had fallen off the face of the earth.

His computer beeped and he jolted up with excitement. But it was a premature celebration; it was only telling him there was nothing else that could be found.

He called her at her office at the university. At first she was annoyed, being interrupted during her planning time for her next lecture but when he told her the topic, she was more than willing to help, though there wasn't much she could tell him. She repeated everything she remembered once more and Booth felt like he had to stop searching and go back to the cold cases the bureau wanted him to look into again.

"Hey, man, you wanna go to lunch?" Teddy came up behind him.

"Hey. Sure, I'll go. Let me reset this search so it'll keep looking while we're out."

"Have you found anything?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Not a thing."

"What about DNA?" Teddy suggested.

"Why DNA?"

"You have anything of Bren's or Drew's with you?"

Booth shrugged and searched his pockets. Apart from his wallet and a few coins, Booth only pulled out a few pieces of lint and one of Drew's pacifiers. Looking at the small binky, Booth felt like he could hit himself for not thinking of it first.

On their way out to lunch, the two stopped at the FBI lab.

"Hey, I need you to run the DNA on this," Booth told the young guy sitting at a work station.

"Am I looking for anything specific?"

"It's my son's. You'll obvious get a hit on me but I'd be surprised if you'd get a hit on my wife. Anything other than the two of us, let me know."

The technician looked suspicious but he wasn't about to question the agent.

"Come on, Seel. Let's go get a burger."

* * *

It was way past lunchtime when the lab tech approached Booth at his desk with the results.

"Sir, are you sure this is right?"

"What do you mean?"

"I got two hits on DNA on the pacifier apart from you and your wife. Max and Ruth Keenan. Wanted for robbery and grand theft auto among others."

Booth was confused. "Is this Agent Parker's idea of a joke?"

"No, sir. I ran the DNA and this is what I got."

"Max and Ruth Keenan…what'd they rob?"

"Banks. Lots of them. They were part of a ring of heists in Ohio, Iowa and Illinois."

"Alright, thanks," Booth told him on autopilot, taking the file from his hands. He looked at the mug shots. He looked at the picture and thought he was staring at an older version of Bren. It was creepy, to look at his in-laws mug shots and know that they weren't who Bren thought they were. He looked through their file. It didn't say they were dead, but they had fallen off the map as well. It said the Keenans had two kids. Kyle and Joy. Kyle was five years older than Joy, just like Russ was five years older than Bren.

Things were starting to fall into place for Booth as he read the file. It was like a novel he couldn't put down. Using his resources to his advantage, he pulled up what he could find on Russ. He was currently on parole in North Carolina, working as a mechanic for carnivals passing through the town. The more he looked into this case, the more restless he became.

The next thing he did was what he worried about the most. He pulled up what they had on Temperance Brennan. It said everything he already knew. She went into the foster system, graduated from Northwestern University, married Seeley Joseph Booth, works at Georgetown University and most recently, gave birth to a son, Andrew Parker Booth. It was all there, except for the fact that she had no records until she was two years old.

He knew she wanted him to look into her parents' case, but neither knew it would lead to such big revelations. Her name was Joy Keenan.

Despite the seriousness of the case, he laughed just a bit. Joy _definitely_ did not suit her. She was Bren. He loved and knew Bren. He just hoped she took it as well as he did.

* * *

**A/N: Over the next week, updates will be a bit slow. Not only do I move yet once again tomorrow, I'm taking a trip to see a few friends in the great city of Chicago. I have plans on how to continue both on-going stories I have right now, so as soon as possible, each will have another chapter. Please, give me some feedback so I know how I'm doing.**


	10. Who You'd Be Today

It was unusual that he beat her home. He started on dinner, though he really didn't know what she wanted. Booth waited anxiously for Brennan and Drew to arrive home. They came through door later than he had expected; it was almost six thirty. Lizzie, Sadie and Sasha had left that morning so the house was unusually quiet.

"Hi, sorry," she greeted him, "My discussion section ran late and Drew threw a fit when I went to pick him up from daycare. How was work?"

"It was…fine. You okay? You seem flustered."

"No, Drew was just crying for a while in the car but he's okay now," she said, setting Drew down in a sitting position. She walked to Booth, hugging him to let out her frustrations with the day.

"Are you sure you're okay, babe?"

"Yeah…Did you find anything at work today? On…you know…"

"Yeah, I did. Are you sure you want to hear about it though? I mean, we can talk later tonight about it if you just want to relax a bit."

She nodded and smiled at him. She never wanted to admit defeat but she loved when he took care of her.

"I'm going to go take a quick shower," she told him, slightly leaving his arms. He nodded and pulled her back, giving her a quick kiss on her forehead. She began to slowly make her way up the narrow staircase when she heard Booth call her back.

"Bren! Come here! You need to see this!"

She raced back down the stairs, fearing something was wrong with her son.

"What?"

"Watch."

He was holding Drew up under his arms, the toddler's feet planted firmly on the ground. Drew was giggling incessantly and it was making Booth laugh too.

"Go get Mom," Booth told Drew. He let go of Drew and he wobbled a bit. After standing still for just a bit, Drew bolted for Brennan, tumbling into her the moment he reached his mom.

"How did he…Did you…" She pulled Drew up and squeezed him tight.

"After you went upstairs, I went back to the kitchen and he followed me."

"He hasn't even been standing. I was starting to get worried."

"Well, those books I got said that some kids can skip that stage completely."

She looked confused. "You still read those books?" When he had been deployed with the Army while she was pregnant, Hank, Jared and Angela all sent Booth baby books.

"Only when he confuses me," he said, still smiling.

She forgot completely about her shower and they spent the night chasing Drew around the house.

* * *

It was late when they finally ate dinner. Brennan finally got that shower she had meant to take and Booth was in bed waiting for her when she was done.

She slid into bed and curled up into his arms.

"What did you find at work today?"

He didn't answer her right away. He didn't want to put a damper on the great night they had just had with Drew.

"Are you sure you wanna talk about it?"

"Yes, I'm very sure. What did you find?"

"It's big, Bren," he said, sitting up slightly. He leaned back on his elbow, resting his head on his hand. He was concerned. This information would change the way she thought about everything.

"Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to accompany you to your office tomorrow to find out?"

He only hesitated a moment before diving into the case.

"You're sure?"

He nodded. He couldn't read her face. She was analyzing the information she had just been given. Booth was afraid she wouldn't handle it and become angry with him.

"Do you have the case file?"

He left the bed and crossed the room to their dresser. Removing the large folder from the top, he returned to bed and snuggled up to her.

"Are you sure you want this?"

"Yes, Booth. Give it here."

He read it over her shoulder, explaining things as she went along.

"I don't like this. This can't be right," she muttered.

He sighed. "I'm sorry, babe. I know this is hard to understand. But, this is as far as we have to look if you want."

"I…I don't know."

"You don't have to think about this now. We have all the time in the world."

* * *

**A/N: Hi there. Sorry this is short and kind of a filler, but I've moved again I'm having issues setting up my internet in my new apartment. So, I'll write and update when I can. I'm sorry! Thank you for reading and reviewing. Drop me a line if you'd like!**


	11. Woman With You

"What did you find on Russ?" she asked, sleep threatening to take over.

"He's in North Carolina on parole. He's working as mechanic. He's married. Apparently, we have two step-nieces," Booth told her, pulling a few pictures from a file.

He told her all about Russ' family and it pained him to see her so upset about it.

"Do you want to go see him? He's about four hours from here."

Brennan nodded slowly, but it wasn't in affirmation, but as an acknowledgement of the information.

"Should we? Do you think it would be a good idea to go see him?"

Booth shrugged. "It looks like your brother had gotten into some trouble in the past but he got it turned around. He's almost done with his parole terms and he's got a solid job. His wife and kids seem good. The youngest, she's six, she's pretty sick. She has cystic fibrosis and is in and out of the hospitals. They can't afford much so her care is pretty basic."

"I think we should go see him."

He knew of his wife's mission to give Drew the best family possible and he didn't plan on discouraging her. He was just worried that Russ would disappoint her again like he had so many times in the past.

"Whenever you want to go, babe, we'll go."

* * *

The next morning was met with the hustle and bustle of work morning and it didn't help that the parents had slept through the alarm. Drew was happily following Booth around the kitchen, watching his father make coffee and mangle the cereal box while trying to open it.

"Bren! The phone's ringing, will you get it?"

"Booth, my hands are full! Can't you get it?"

Booth didn't answer and the phone kept ringing. She waited for him to make a move for the phone but when he didn't, she let her frustrations get the better of her and she slammed down her cup of coffee and the food she was trying to prepare for both her and Drew.

"Hello? Yes, this is Dr. Brennan."

This piqued Booth's interest. She rarely got calls regarding work at the house. Drew started crying and Booth couldn't hear what she was talking about anymore. He was hungry and he wanted to be fed. By the time Booth finished making breakfast for Drew and put him in his high chair to feed him, Brennan was off the phone.

"What was that about?"

"It was a job offer."

"You mean like those lecture offers you get all the time from other universities?"

She shook her head.

"No. I would leave Georgetown to take this job. We wouldn't have to move. We could stay in this house since this job is located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area."

"Bren, what is it? Is it better than being a professor?"

She got this girlish grin on her face that Booth hadn't seen in a very long time. "I have wanted this position for quite some time."

"Well, what is it?"

"It's a position at the Jeffersonian Institute as the head research anthropologist."

"Are you going to take it?" was all he said. He was excited for her, sure, but it sounded as boring as her job now.

"I will be meeting with Dr. Goodman later today. This is very exciting!"

"Good, baby, I'm happy for you," he said, giving Drew another bite before pulling her into a congratulatory kiss.

"I have to get going," Booth told her, pulling back from the kiss sooner than he'd like, "Call me at the office if you get that job though. I mean, _when_ you get that job."

She grinned. "Say bye to Dad, Drew."

He giggled a bit and waved at him as Booth jogged out the door.

* * *

**A/N: Hi there! I just wanted to let you all know that I'll be on vacation this week so this is going to be the last update for a bit. Sorry for not posting so much to being with. I feel like such a crappy updater. Sorry about that. Anyway, please (if you'd like) let me know what you think! I love hearing your feedback.**


	12. Wife and Kids

"The job is yours, Dr. Brennan, if you'd like. We'd be honored to have you here at the Jeffersonian," Dr. Goodman's deep baritone voice was music to her ears as he spoke the words. It was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. It would be a while before she could start, however, having priorities to the university first to finish teaching the classes she had already started for the summer semester. She would pass on her classes for the coming fall semester to another capable professor.

"Yes, Dr. Goodman. Thank you so much." She felt like an idiot for grinning so much but she couldn't help it. The two doctors parted ways at the institute and Brennan made her way over to the Hoover building to surprise her husband.

She was shocked when they told her Booth wasn't there.

"Well, where is he?" she asked the secretary, who only shrugged.

"It's not my job to keep track of agents, Miss…"

"Dr. Brennan," she corrected, "And I'm Agent Booth's wife." She was getting angry now.

"Bren? What are you doing here?" Teddy said, coming up behind her. She turned around and was immediately relieved to see someone she knew.

"I'm looking for Booth. Do you know where he is?"

"As far as I know, he's out working a cold case. You okay?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I just wanted to tell him I got the job."

Teddy raised his eyebrows. "I thought you already had a good job?"

Brennan's smile got even bigger. "Yeah, but this one is better."

"Well, congrats, Bren," Teddy closed the gap between them to hug her and then asked, "Where's Drew?"

"He's at the daycare at the university. I have to get back. I have a class to teach in an hour. If you see him, will you let him know I was here?"

Teddy nodded. "I'll let him know. I'll see you later, Bren."

* * *

"Bren would kill me if she knew I was doing this," he muttered. Booth was sitting in his SUV on a street in town in northern North Carolina. He was cutting it close. He wasn't going to make it home in time for dinner and he knew it. But the trip down to where Russ was living was four hours one way and he planned on spending as much time as he could making sure he wasn't risking anything by letting his wife and son visit Russ. He certainly didn't want them to be in any danger.

It was just around lunch time and Booth had followed Russ to the local diner and watched him eat and then head back to the mechanic shop to finish up the day. Booth hadn't witnessed anything sketchy but he may have only come by on a slow day. But maybe her brother really had turned his life around. Booth sat back in his seat and ran his hands over his face and sighed. He didn't know what to believe. He wanted things to be all fine and dandy for Bren. He wanted Russ to be exactly what the files said: a reformed criminal.

When Russ left the shop for the day, Booth was tempted to do the same and start the long drive back to D.C., but he stopped by a gas station to use a pay phone.

She picked up on the third ring.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey, babe, it's me."

"_Booth, where are you?"_

"I'm sorry. I've got this cold case that just caught a break," he squirmed as he heard himself lie, "I'll be late. I'm sorry I didn't call you sooner."

"_It's okay. I got the job," _she offered, trying to make him feel better.

"That's great, Bren! I knew you would!" he started feeling guilty again instantly, "I gotta go, babe. I love you. Tell Drew goodnight for me."

"_I will. I love you too."_ She hung up without a goodbye.

He placed the phone back on the receiver and climbed back into his car. He made his way over to a modest part of town to where the file said Russ Brennan lived with his wife and step-daughters. He coasted to a stop across the street from the small house. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Booth felt like a creep for spying on his brother-in-law like this, but he had only met the guy once, years before.

He had been dating Bren at the time. They had just met Angela and Booth had just won his first national football title as a Northwestern Wildcat. Russ had shown up at her dorm room to check up on Bren. Booth's protective mode went into overdrive the minute he saw Russ. They were hardly eighteen. That was almost seven years ago.

Booth watched those little girls greet Russ like they hadn't seen him in years and then he greeted his wife like Booth should be greeting his. He shook his head and turned the engine over as he headed back to D.C.

* * *

**A/N: Hello, Readers! I'm back! Kinda…Classes are starting soon so updates are going to start slowing down but now that I'm back from vacation, things should keep coming at least on a somewhat regular basis. And I had plenty of inspiration for this story (unfortunately, not my other) while I was away. This was a shorter chapter, but it was just supposed to set things up and hopefully the next few will a bit longer! Leave a few words if you'd like. Thanks for reading!**


	13. Just Not Today

This was it. They were finally taking the vacation to North Carolina to see Russ. Bren's summer classes were done. The grad students just had to pass out the exams and she would grade them when they got back. Booth had only taken a few days off work, knowing there was only going to be so much family bonding Bren could handle in the first place.

Drew was talking now. He was saying only basic things but it put his parents in a good mood every time they heard him talk. Brennan was having a hard time dealing with the fact that he was growing up. He was becoming steadier on his feet as the days went on and he was mastering the stairs behind her back, much to her dismay. Booth installed a gate at both the top and bottom of the staircase so he had nowhere to go and Drew was mad at them for a few hours after that development. It was hard maneuvering around the gates, but both parents became skilled at getting over the gate with the toddler in their arms.

Booth was making great progress as a new agent at the Bureau. He had the best solve rate for a rookie agent. Cold cases were being closed left and right because of him. The only one he couldn't solve was the disappearance of her parents. He couldn't locate them. Booth knew she wanted to find them, whether they were dead or alive.

Brennan was becoming increasingly anxious to start her job at the Jeffersonian. She knew both Angela and Jack worked there too and was excited to see them as well. She was thrilled for the opportunity and her start date couldn't come fast enough.

"You almost ready to go, babe?"

She nodded.

"Do you think we should call first?" she worried.

Booth shrugged. "Let's just get down there, check into the hotel, and go from there. You know after four hours in the car seat, Drew's going to want out. Let's get this drive over with."

Brennan smiled at him.

"Alright," she looked down at her son, who was standing by the door waiting to go out to the car, "Let's go meet your uncle."

* * *

After four very long hours in the car, one very stinky diaper, a spilled container of cheerios, and a round 'Mary had a Little Lamb' sung out of tune by Booth and in tune by Brennan, the family finally made it to their hotel room in North Carolina. They washed up Drew after the diaper incident and put some clean clothes on him.

"Why was that so exhausting?" Booth said.

"He has so much more energy than us. I was hoping he'd sleep on the way down here."

"So now what?"

Brennan shrugged.

"I guess…I should call him. You have his number, right? It was in the file?"

Booth pulled out the file from his duffle bag and handed it to her. She walked over to the phone by the hotel bed and sat down. Dialing the number, she looked back at Booth, who was pretending to be disinterested in the call. He was pretending that he couldn't hear a single thing that was going on. Booth didn't want Bren to think he was trying to protect her.

He was playing with Drew on the floor when Bren was done on the phone.

"He didn't go into work today. Called in sick, I guess. Should we still go over there? I don't want to get Drew sick."

Booth mulled over the situation. "Well, what do you want to do?"

"I want to see him."

"So are we going?"

"I'm not getting Drew sick."

"So then what's the plan?"

"I'm going. You're staying here. You stay here with Drew while I go see Russ."

"Oh, no. Bren, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"He's a criminal!"

"He's my brother!"

She sighed and shook her head. "What did he do anyway?"

"Just a few misdemeanors. Nothing big. Not yet."

"Why do you say it like that?"

"Because, Bren, misdemeanors always lead to felonies."

She rolled her eyes and before he could do anything, she grabbed the car keys and the case file and went to the door.

"I'm going."

He knew he wasn't going to change her mind. "Fine. Just be careful, okay? I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye, baby."

"Bye!" Drew shouted to her and then ran to close the door behind her.

"Mom?" Drew asked his dad after he ran back to play.

"She'll be back. Come on, let's see if there's a good game on," Booth told him, grabbing the remote. Drew babbled and Booth explained to him about the finer points of football.

Booth let out a loud breath and Drew looked up at him, listening intently as he watched his dad plop down on the hotel bed.

"Think Mom's gonna be okay?"

Drew nodded as he hoisted himself up onto the bed next to Booth.

"Okay, Big Guy, if you say so."

* * *

After Brennan parked the car, she picked up the file from the passenger seat and double checked the address. She braced herself; she didn't know what to expect. Pulling the keys from the ignition, she exited the car and walked up to the front door.

She instantaneously felt out of place in the neighborhood in her professional professor attire. Anyone looking at her could tell she didn't belong. Russ' house was one of the nicer ones on the block. There were toys in the drive way and sidewalk chalk on the walkway leading up to the front door. Pink, yellow and purple were the colors used the most, obvious signs little girls had decorated the concrete.

She knocked on the door three times and took one last calming breath. She didn't know why she was so anxious. She hadn't seen her brother, who turned out to be a criminal, in almost seven years. She had a sister-in-law and two step-nieces she didn't know about until a few weeks ago. It was natural to feel nervous.

A woman opened the door. She was tall, blonde and looked hardly older than Brennan, though her worries were showing through despite desperate efforts to hide them.

"Hi, um, is Russ here?"

"No, he's at the hospital."

"The hospital?"

The woman nodded.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"I'm Temperance. Russ is my brother."

The woman's eyes widened in recognition and moved aside to let Bren inside. "I'm sorry! Please, come in."

Brennan walked inside and looked around. The house seemed bigger from the outside. The living room could barely hold a TV and the couch and the kitchen was in need of some major repair.

"I'm Amy," she told Bren, holding out a hand to shake. Brennan took it and the women both smiled. "I'm sorry Russ isn't here. He's not the one in the hospital."

"Do you mind me asking who is?"

Amy smiled kindly at her. "Russ thought about coming to find you. He thought you were still in Chicago. Do you live in the Carolinas?"

Brennan shook her head, not minding that her question was ignored. She assumed the question was too personal and she wasn't going to press the issue.

"We're in D.C."

Amy gestured to the couch and they both took a seat.

"We?"

"I'm sorry?"

Amy shrugged. "You said 'we're in D.C.' who's we?"

"Oh. My husband and my son."

"Wow. Russ still thinks you're dating that football player."

"I married that football player," Brennan said with a laugh.

Amy was laughing too. "Good. I think Russ liked him. I mean, from what Russ was telling me, he only met him for a few minutes but he seemed to care for you and Russ liked that."

"Well, Booth and Drew would've come. But I called the mechanic shop I found that Russ works for and they said he called in sick. I didn't want to bring Drew over if someone was sick."

"I don't blame you. How old is he?"

"Just over a year."

The two women gushed about their children and told stories about the cute things they've done and the milestones they've crossed. There was something odd about Amy that Bren could see but she couldn't place what it was, like something was constantly threatening to make her emotions take a turn for the worse.

"I'm really sorry you missed Russ. I'm not sure when he's coming home."

"It's fine. We're staying in town for a few more days so we'll be around."

"It's Hayley," Amy suddenly confessed, "She has cystic fibrosis and her complications can get really nasty. Russ and I have been taking turns staying with her."

"Amy, you didn't have to tell me."

She nodded. "I know. But I feel like you deserve an explanation. You drove all the way down here to see your brother and-ˮ

"Amy," Brennan placed a hand on her shoulder, "we'll stop by tomorrow. If it's alright with you, I really want Drew to know who his family is."

Amy instantly felt better. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

* * *

**A/N: So, no Russ yet, but he'll be in next chapter!**


	14. Some People Change

He stepped in front of her just as she was about to knock on the door and knocked for her.

"I can knock on the door myself, Booth," she told him.

"I know."

Neither sounded angry. She was nervous and he was nervous for her.

She was holding Drew on one hip, clutching him tighter to her body than she normally would have. Drew was gently playing with her hair and looking at his new surroundings. Both Brennan and Booth were dressed down from they wore from their day jobs. He was out of his suit and in jeans and a shirt and Brennan was in something similar. Though she had dressed to feel comfortable, she felt nowhere near that.

It was midday and the neighborhood where Russ and his family lived seemed dead. The only sound apart from cars on the distant highway was the light wind.

Booth had gone back to her side, knowing, if anything, this was her battle to fight. He would step in if he had to, but even he knew she wouldn't let him protect her very much.

They heard the lock turn and Amy pulled the door open.

After greetings and introductions were over, Amy welcomed her guests inside and Brennan instantly began scanning the room for Russ.

No sign.

"Russ is picking up Emma from school. She had a half day today and Hayley's taking a nap now," Amy told her when she noticed Brennan's disappointed look. Drew was becoming heavy on her hip, and at that moment, he tried wriggling out of her arms.

Brennan set him down before she lost her grip on him and he ran for the toys he spied in the corner of the living room. The three adults watched him play for a bit while they waited for Russ and Emma to come home.

"Mommy? Who's here?"

Booth and Brennan looked up to see a little girl standing in her pajamas. Her braids were lopsided and she was missing a sock.

"Hayley, come here, sweetie. Do you remember what I told you last night when you and Russ got home?" Amy asked her daughter, her arms outstretched.

Hayley walked over and curled into her mother's arms. Shyly, she shook her head.

"This is Russ's sister, Temperance. Do you remember me telling you we were going to have visitors? That's her husband, Seeley and their little boy, Drew. You can go play with Drew if you're not too tired."

Hayley nodded and dashed over to the corner and dumped out a bucket of blocks, where the two were soon building towers and knocking them over, eliciting giggles from Drew.

"Mom!" Emma came darting through the backdoor, "Mom! I found that lunchbox I lost!"

"Emma, shh," Russ said, his voice forcibly hushed, "Your sister could still be sleeping."

"I'm right here!" Hayley announced her presence. Drew kicked his foot out, successfully knocking over yet another block tower Hayley had made. He shrieked, his laughter filling the air.

Brennan stood up and turned to face her brother.

"Hi, Tempe," Russ said, his voice barely above a whisper.

She wanted to say hi, but her voice caught in her throat. Brennan walked around the couch and wrapped her arms around her brother.

Booth stood too, wanting to say hello. He just wasn't sure how, not without causing a scene or making things awkward.

When the siblings finally took a step back, Booth took a few steps around to approach Russ. The men made eye contact and Russ held out a hand.

Booth took it and they shook. He had a firm grip on Russ's hand and when he saw his brother-in-law wince for a split second, a small smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Brennan gently kicked his foot with hers to signal the handshake had gone on long enough.

When the two men released hands, Booth moved closer to Bren, sensing an awkward stage coming.

"I'm not going to lie, Tempe, when I came through the door, I thought it was Mom sitting on the couch. You look a lot like her." Russ walked over to the kids sitting in the corner of the room to see Drew.

"Hey, big guy," Russ greeted his nephew. He held out an open hand, palm facing up for a high five. Drew just looked at his uncle and placed a block in his hand.

"At least we know he's good at sharing," Booth muttered in Brennan's ear. She ignored him and instead went to sit back down on the couch. Booth sat very closely next to her and he could tell she was getting annoyed with his protective streak. As Booth placed his arm behind her on the back of her couch, the couple began to quietly bicker over Booth's actions.

"Will you stop being like this?"

"Being like what?"

"You know what."

At the sound of his mother's voice, Drew stood and dropped the two blocks he had in each hand. He toddled over to Brennan, who scooped him up before he even had to ask. He sat on her lap, face to face, and the bickering stopped. Drew placed his head in the crook of her neck and rubbed his eyes.

"Almost naptime, isn't it, baby?" she whispered, rubbing a hand up and down his back.

"If you'd like, we have an old portable crib of Hayley's we can set up if he needs to sleep," Amy suggested.

They agreed that'd be best to keep the toddler from getting cranky. Booth took Drew from Brennan's arms and followed Amy and a couple of eager-to-help girls to find the crib.

"I'm happy for you, Tempe," Russ spoke up, finally feeling comfortable without Booth's presence.

"Thanks, Russ. Amy and the girls…they're wonderful."

He nodded and looked away from her. Seemingly out of nowhere, he laughed.

"I can't believe you married the football player. How did you two even meet? No offense, Tempe, but even in school, you weren't the type of girl to hang out with the jocks."

"I was his anthropology tutor."

Russ started laughing even harder. "Wow, now _there's _a stereotype I've never heard before," he said, the sarcasm thick in his voice.

She was going to tell him that she didn't understand, but she decided to ask Booth later.

Hayley and Emma animatedly tiptoed back out into the living room.

"Shh! Drew's already asleep!" Emma whispered theatrically, holding a finger to her lips. The adults nodded and kept quiet. Amy and Booth followed the girls out to rejoin the group.

"So," Russ said, as Booth sat down next to Brennan and pulled her close, "have you talked to Mom and Dad?"

* * *

**A/N: Okay, so it's short. But I wanted to get this right. I'm not exactly thrilled with it but it's all I've got for now. If you feel up to it, let me know how I did.**


	15. Outta Here

"What do you mean?" Brennan asked.

"Well, I mean, if you found me, I'm sure you found them, right? You did find them too, didn't you?" Russ said.

"I keep hitting dead ends," Booth answered.

"You do? No offense, but why are you the one looking?" Russ asked.

Unknown to Brennan, Booth had brought his badge with him. He pulled it out of his pocket and tossed it to Russ.

"I have resources that Bren doesn't."

"You gave up professional football for the government?" Russ sounded shocked. It was how everyone sounded when the former number one football draft pick told anyone he was a government drone, as Bren called him.

"It was easy to find you. Do you want the files on your parents or not?" Booth ignored Russ' jab.

His brother-in-law nodded and Brennan pulled a file out of Drew's diaper bag. She handed it to him and waited for Russ' reaction as he read it over.

"So?" Brennan asked, wanting his reaction after he closed the folder.

"Tempe…I…I don't know what to say," he said with a shake of his head.

"What do you mean?"

Booth grabbed her hand. He could read Russ like a book. Russ would've been old enough to remember Kyle and Joy, to remember their lives before Russ and Temperance.

Russ didn't say anything and avoided looking at her. He kept his eyes on Hayley and Emma, who were still playing quietly in the corner.

"Bren…"

"No," she cut Booth off, "I want Russ to say something. Do you know something? Do you know where they are?"

"No, Tempe," he broke his silence, "I have no idea where they are."

"Then what?"

"You're not going to understand, Tempe. Dad told me things…I was scared. He told me people would hurt you and Mom. He told me I had to forget everything and pretend Kyle and Joy were never born. Only Russ and Tempe."

"So you knew? Even when they left, you knew and you didn't tell me!"

She was furious and by now, she was yelling at him. They could hear Drew fussing in the other room. Brennan stood and went to get him. Booth followed. He knew he needed to calm her down. Things were getting out of hand.

He waited until they were standing over Drew in the crib.

"Bren, you need to chill. You don't know the situation. Obviously, your parents are who you thought they were. That's not your fault and it's not his fault. Just go talk to him and see what he has to say."

Drew reached his arms up to his mom, wanting to be held. Brennan picked him up and held him close.

"No. I can't. We're going home. I'm done with this, Booth. He lied. Russ had plenty of chances to tell me about whatever was going on with Mom and Dad. I just want to take Drew home and look for Mom and Dad there."

Booth nodded and followed Brennan out into the living room.

"We're going to take off," Booth said, before Brennan could say something before thinking. He didn't want her to be rude.

"You're not staying?" Emma whined.

"No, we have to get Drew home so we can make dinner and get him to bed at a good time," Brennan told her, her tone apologetic.

Emma and Hayley said bye to Drew and he blew little kisses to his cousins as Brennan walked toward the front door.

"Tempe, just stay for a bit longer," Russ begged, "Will you just let me explain?"

"You already did. We're going home. It was good to see you, Amy," Brennan said, first addressing her brother, and then his wife.

"I hope you guys can come back soon. The girls would love to play with Drew again," Amy told Booth and Brennan.

"We'll try to visit soon," Booth told her. He received a glare from Brennan with that comment but he pretended not to notice.

As she strapped Drew into his car seat, Booth asked her why she wanted to leave so badly.

"Something doesn't seem right," she told him.

"And you base that on what?"

"He's my brother. I know him."

"You haven't seen him in years, Bren. You don't really know him anymore."

"I grew up with him, Booth. I know him. Just like you know Jared."

"This isn't like you, Bren."

"I know. Can you just trust me this time?"

They began to drive and the car ride was silent for awhile except for Drew making noises in the back and the low volume of the radio.

"So what do you want me to look for?" Booth asked her.

"Just double check Russ' background."

"You think he's hiding something?"

"Maybe."

"You think he and your parents have been in contact with each other?"

She sighed.

"If you are who they say they are, if they really are Max and Ruth, not Matt and Christine, and they're running from the authorities, then yes, maybe they have been in contact with each other. If they know we're married, they won't come to me for help. They know I'm married to an FBI agent. You would have to arrest them. Russ is a criminal. He is the obvious child to go to for help," she reasoned.

Brennan didn't like it. She hated what she had just said.

"We'll find them, Bren. Don't worry," he told her.

"That's what I'm afraid of."

* * *

**A/N: Hello everyone! So I just want to give everyone a heads up: I know updates have been a bit slow, but they're about to get slower :( Classes start tomorrow and I have a very full schedule. Plus on top of that, I have football season tickets, I'm pledging a sorority, _and _one of my classes is a a new foreign language to me. So writing is going to take a bit of a back seat to learning a new alphabet for a bit. I promise I have plenty of ideas on where I want my stories to go so they WILL be updated, just not all that often. Sorry! I hope you'll forgive me!**


	16. She Gets That Way

She had been harder on Russ than she wanted to. So she called the next night and they talked for a while. Brennan apologized and he forgave his sister. It was easier to talk to him over the phone, less pressure it seemed. They talked of their jobs and the kids and spouses.

After Bren hung up the phone, Booth walked into the kitchen with Drew toddling right behind him, holding onto a cup of milk for dear life. Their son was Booth's shadow these days and no matter what, Booth couldn't seem to shake him. Even if Booth when into the bathroom, Drew would wait outside for his dad. Booth and Bren knew it was a matter of time before Drew found a way to escape the confines of his crib at night.

"So?"

"We just talked," she updated her husband. He nodded.

"Did you look into Russ's file again?" she asked anxiously.

"I couldn't find much. If your parents are alive, and they are in contact with Russ, then they're really good at hiding it. I couldn't find a thing." She nodded slowly and watched Drew weave around their legs as they talked. He was babbling to himself, saying things that sound like nothing to Booth. But Brennan just smiled.

"What?" he asked.

"Drew's going start talking soon," Bren told him.

"How can you tell?"

"Simply?" She waited for Booth to nod before continuing, "He's starting to make the sounds of basic English words. All babies know the phonemes of several languages but pick up the languages of their parents the quickest. Drew could pick up a few languages quite quickly if I continue to speak to him in others. If we pushed him just a bit, I think he could start speaking today even."

"Wow! Really?"

"It's quite possible."

They watched Drew circle around their legs, making figure-eight patterns and gripping their shins for balance when he stumbled on their feet. When he finally noticed his parents watching him, Drew looked up at them and smiled a gummy smile. They put him down for the night and got ready for bed themselves. She crawled into bed and into his arms.

"What do you want me to do about your parents?"

"I can't decide. If we never find them, I'll never know what happened to them, But if you keep looking and you find them, only one of two outcomes could occur," she whispered.

He kissed her head and pulled her as close to his body as possible.

"You'd have to arrest them," she continued, "if they're still alive. Or they're dead."

Booth sighed.

"I'm not going to make this decision for you, babe."

"I almost wish you would."

* * *

**A/N: I know it's a really short update but I needed a bit of a filler chapter to move into the next bit. **


	17. What I Need To Do

Booth sat at his desk the next day, mulling over his options. What had she meant last night? Did she really want him to choose for her or was she simply saying she didn't know how to decide?

Brennan didn't say anything about it at breakfast this morning. She was too busy trying to get their stubborn son to quit squirming in his high chair and to eat his breakfast. Drew was having an off morning; he was too fussy for her to focus on anything other than actually getting his banana in his mouth rather than on the floor.

"Yo, Booth! Lunchtime! Come on," Teddy shouted as approached Booth's small cubicle.

"Yeah, okay, Parker. Let's go."

They arrived at the diner not long later and Booth decided to ask for Teddy's help on Bren's case.

"I'm not sure what to do," he said after explaining the situation to his Army buddy, "Should I just keep searching?"

"That's what she wants, right? She wants Drew to know who his family is?"

Booth nodded and took a solid chunk out of his cheeseburger.

"Then keep looking until she says stop. That's what I'd do," Teddy advised.

"Do you realize that if I find her parents alive, I have to arrest them?"

"You left that part out, soldier. Maybe you should stay out of it, let them come to you."

Booth shook his head. "That's the problem. They won't."

Teddy shrugged. "Shit, man. You're stuck between a rock and a hard place."

Booth let his head drop back as his frustration set in.

"I just don't want to screw this up."

Teddy nodded. "Then don't. Either do it your way. Or her way. But you're the agent, Booth. It's still your case, you just have to decide who's running it."

* * *

He was sitting back at his desk, contemplating his choices. It was almost quitting time before he picked up the phone and called the field offices in Columbus, Chicago and Des Moines for any information they had on either Max and Ruth Keenan or Matt and Christine Brennan.

Booth didn't expect to hear back from any of the field offices until the next day so he had the night to think things over and talk it out with his wife.

Just as he was sliding his suit jacket back on to head for home, his desk phone rang.

Booth thought about not answering it, but knew better than to ignore his phone.

"Booth," he greeted whoever was on the other end.

"_Special Agent Booth, this is Special Agent Crawford with the Des Moines, Iowa field office,"_ he heard.

He shuffled around for a pen and a sheet of paper, getting ready to write down whatever this agent was about to tell him.

"Agent Crawford, I appreciate you getting back to me so quickly."

"_Well, Booth, I can assure you, no one wants this case anymore. These guys are hard to find. A career killer for sure. You wanted to know about two bank robbers specifically though?"_

"Yeah, Max and Ruth Keenan."

"_Well,_" Agent Crawford sighed, _"I'm sorry but those two are the only two we haven't been able to find. You might have better luck with Chicago field office."_

"I've got a call into them already," Booth informed him.

"_Okay, then. Good luck, agent."_

"Thanks for your help, Crawford."

Booth hung up the phone knowing one thing: they weren't in Iowa. That was one more thing he could tell Bren and they were one step closer to finding her family.


	18. Fall In Love

At dinner that night, Booth struggled to find a way to tell Bren he was still searching for her parents. Drew was still being fussy but at least Brennan had figured out what was wrong with him.

"He's teething again," she explained, "A few more teeth are coming in and he's extra cranky."

"So he's pissed because he wants to eat steak like Dad but he can't?" Booth joked, wiggling a slice of meat in front of his son.

"Booth," she scolded, "Don't. He'll grab it and chew on it. He'll chew on anything! His gums hurt."

"I'm sorry, bub," he said as he leaned over and pressed a kiss to Drew's temple.

Brennan gave him an approving smile and he leaned over the table for a kiss. She accepted and Booth thought now was as good as ever to bring up her parents.

"I talked to the Des Moines field office today," he said, shoving a piece of steak in his mouth.

She nodded once and stirred her salad a bit. "And?"

"They've been looking for your parents for years but they haven't been able to track them down at all. Said they're the only two they haven't caught."

"Okay. So what's next?"

He took another bite and waited for her to look at him. When she finally did, he said, "I wait to see what the guys in Chicago and Columbus say. They might have something. Or…"

"Or what?"

"I don't have to do anything at all."

"Keep looking."

He wasn't sure if that's the answer he expected or not, but he just nodded and continued to eat his dinner.

"Thanks, Booth."

"Why are you thanking me?"

"I don't think I would've found Russ without you. And I know I wouldn't be able to go through this…looking for Mom and Dad, without you."

"That doesn't mean you have to thank me, Babe. You know I'd do anything for you. You know that," he said, the sincerity in his voice evident even to Brennan.

"Yes, yes I know. But…thank you."

"You know how you can thank me later…" he wiggled his eyebrows at her and winked.

She laughed loudly and Drew thought it was funny too. He joined in on the laughing, which only made Booth and Brennan laugh harder.

"After he's asleep," she promised.

"Don't wake him up this time."

She laughed again. "That was you! That was definitely not me! You were the one that was obnoxiously loud!"

"I don't think so, Doctor Brennan! As soon as I-ˮ

"Ah! He does not need to hear about our…adventures," she said as she covered Drew's ears.

He only wiggled his eyebrows again at her as they finished their dinner quickly to get ready for bed.

* * *

**A/N: Updates will be shorter for a while. Sorry. Blame it on life. Football season starts this weekend and classes are really kicking into gear. My professors are really starting to load things down on us. Oh, and I figured things have been a little heavy lately so hopefully this update was a bit happier :)**


	19. It's Never Easy To Say Goodbye

Booth walked into his office that day to find his phone ringing. He darted over and picked up the phone before he even sat down.

"Booth," he told the person on the other line.

"_Agent Booth, this is Agent Moore from Chicago. I have some information you requested."_

"On Max and Ruth Keenan?"

"_We all call them Columbus and Fremont around here. They haven't been around in ages. They were runnin' with a ring around Springfield and Peoria about nine years ago and then fell off the grid about a year later."_

"Is Burtonsville around Springfield or Peoria?"

"_About an hour Northeast of Springfield. Why?" _

"I've heard they lived there at one point with their kids."

"_Who'd you hear that from?"_

"Sources. Are you sure they haven't been around lately?

"_They haven't been a blip on our radar since years ago."_

"You're sure?"

"_Positive."_

"Do you have any idea where they'd be now?"

"_Well if I did, I'd go after them,"_ Agent Moore said sarcastically, _"I've heard they made their way around Iowa and Illinois before heading back East to Indiana and Ohio."_

"You've been in contact with the field agents in Ohio recently?" Booth asked.

"_Not in quite a few years. You'll want to talk to Hauck in Columbus and Simon in Cincinnati about this case."_

"Can you fax me a copy of the case file you have?"

"_Of course. Can I ask why you want to know about this case?"_

Booth was unsure on how to answer this. Should he tell them the Keenans were his in-laws or straight out lie to a superior agent?

"I'm stuck in the cold case unit. Case came up in the database as one of the major ones that had never been solved. I'm just doing my job," he half-assed.

The line was silent for a minute and Booth wondered if Moore could see through his answer.

"_Well, good luck to you, Agent Booth. I know how it can feel to be stuck in a division that bores you out of freaking mind. Find something on this case, and maybe the higher ups will do something about that."_

Booth thanked the other agent and hung up. He walked to the fax machine and waited for the case file to come through. Pictures came first. It was incredible how much she looked like her mother. Booth couldn't believe it. He knew if push came to shove, he could ID Ruth Keenan at the drop of a hat.

He read over the file when it finally came through. It was more detailed than what Moore had told him but not by much. They hadn't gone far from home when they left Bren and Russ behind. Springfield wasn't that far away. If they could or wanted to, they would be able to go back to Burtonsville and check up on their children.

The thought made Booth immediately impatient. He jogged back through the bullpen and to his desk to call the Columbus office to bug them again. Now that he had a name of an agent he needed to talk to, maybe he would get somewhere faster.

"This is Agent Booth from D.C. headquarters. I need to speak to Agent Hauck, please," Booth told whoever answered the phone. He began to shake a knee anxiously while he was placed on hold and transferred to the right division.

"_This is Agent Hauck,"_ he finally heard, _"What can I do for you, Agent Booth?"_

He relayed the case information that he wanted to Hauck told him exactly what he wanted to hear.

"_You're gonna love this, Booth. Me and this guy, Simon from Cinci have been working together on this case you want and we had a handle on Fremont and Columbus about four years ago. We lost track of them but then they showed up one last time in Cleveland and then fell off the map. The thing is, Simon swears he and his guys think they've found them."_

Booth didn't know what to say.

"You've found Max and Ruth Keenan?"

"_It ain't for sure yet. I'm not sure if Simon really has been tracking the right couple, but there have been some robberies in western West Virginia. It seems like Fremont and Columbus are on the move again. You may want to talk to the guys over there. Or if your boss is okay with it, come help out me and Simon. We could use the help finding these guys."_

He soon hung up with Hauck and went to find Director Cullen. Once it was okayed, he left for home, packed a bag for a few days, and swung by the university where Bren was finishing her tenure. She was anxious to start her job at the Jeffersonian, and she would, as soon as she had completed her research with Georgetown.

"Booth, what are you doing here?" she asked him as he walked into her lab.

"I have to go to Ohio for the bureau. I should only be a couple of days."

"Did you say goodbye to Drew already?"

"I stopped by the daycare on my way up here."

She smiled at him. "What's in Ohio?"

He didn't answer.

"Mom and Dad?"

"It's a good possibility," Booth whispered as he pulled her off to the side to keep their conversation private from her coworkers, "FBI code names are Columbus and Fremont. They're notorious, Bren. Some agent in Cincinnati thinks he found them but they're not for sure."

"Go. I want you to find them."

He nodded. "I have to go. My plane leaves in a couple of hours."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Be careful."


	20. I Will Stand

He hated Ohio. It was home to the Buckeyes, conference rivals to his Northwestern Wildcats, but that wasn't the only reason he despised the Midwestern state. He just wanted to go home. He wanted to hug his son and kiss his wife and forget that they had troubling pasts.

Agents Hauck and Simon were more than happy to have his help, but the other junior agents were pissed that a guy from the East coast waltzed right in and took over their job. But Booth had every reason to be pissed right back at them.

The case was going nowhere and he had seemingly left Bren and Drew for no reason. The handle Agent Simon had on the Keenans was weak, at best. There had been a few robberies in small towns around Cincinnati and it looked like the work of the notorious Columbus and Fremont. Booth's gut said he was going to have to go home and deliver some bad news to his wife. He had left her looking so hopeful, so full of wishful thinking. He knew Bren wouldn't let herself get out of control with wild fantasies –she wasn't that type of woman –and she knew if he did find her parents, he'd have to send them straight to jail. That thought was a tad comforting for Booth. It meant that Max and Ruth wouldn't be going anywhere. It meant she could see her parents without wondering when they were going to take off again. It meant her family could go back to establishing some sort of semblance of normalcy. He wanted to do this for her, but he was also afraid for her. He was worried about what seeing her parents in jail would do to her. When they set out on this mission, it was to give Drew a family, what they never really had. But now they were in too deep to turn back. He wanted to help her, but he had to protect her too. If he ever admitted that to Bren, he would be a dead man. But, he'd rather die than see her get hurt.

The evidence supporting Simon's case was minimal. They could prove it was probably the Keenans that had robbed the small banks but there was no clues left that they could trace them with. They were dust in the wind. Again. He had spent four days fishing around Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland searching for anything that could help the case. But he came up empty despite his best efforts.

He was planning on wrapping things up the next day before taking an afternoon flight back to D.C. When Booth finally reached his hotel room, he fell back on his bed in near exhaustion. It was only six in D.C. but that meant Bren would be getting home soon. He planned on calling her as soon as she and Drew were done eating dinner. He flipped on the TV and dozed off into an uncomfortable nap, still dressed completely in his suit, tie and dress shoes.

Booth had no idea how long he had been sleeping when the shrill ring of his cell snapped him awake.

"Booth," he answered, attempting to hide the sleepiness in his voice.

"_Booth?"_

"Bren! Hey, Babe, I was gonna call you but I think I just passed out. Drew's still awake, right? Can I talk to him?"

"_Booth, someone's been here. I don't know what to do."_

"What do you mean? What's going on?" He could hear the fear in her voice.

"_Drew and I just got home. The front door was wide open and our things are scattered everywhere. Someone's been in our house."_

"Get outta there. I'm calling Teddy. You two can stay with him until I get back."

"_That's nonsense. I'll stay with Angela and Jack. They live much closer."_

"Bren, I'd feel safer if you'd go to Teddy's. He carries a weapon, Hodgins doesn't. Put Drew back in the car and go to Teddy's place. He and Claire have a spare room for you two."

"_Alright. I'm just going to grab a few things for Drew out of his room and we'll go over to Teddy and Claire's."_

"No! Bren, don't go into the house. Where are you?"

"_I'm in the living room."_

"Leave now. Whoever broke in could still be there."

He hoped she listened. Waiting for her response was torture. She didn't say anything, though he could hear Drew talking in the background. He didn't waste any time. His things were back in his suitcase and he was already heading down to the front desk to check out.

"_Okay. I'll call you when I get there. When are you coming home?"_

"I'm leaving now. I'm going to try to get on the first plane out of here."

"_What about the case?"_

"We'll talk when I get back," he told her, hoping the disappointment in is voice was hidden.

"_Okay. Will you call me before you fly out?"_

"Of course. I haven't talked to my boy yet." He could almost hear her smile over the phone.

"_I love you."_

"I love you, too. You know it's okay to be scared, Bren. You don't always have to act so tough."

"_I'm not afraid for me, I'm just afraid for Drew. I don't want anything to happen to him._

"That's why you're staying with Ted. He'll keep you safe."

"_I can take care of Drew and myself, Booth."_

"I know that. But do you have a gun?"

"_No."_

"That's why you're staying with Parker. I'll call you back soon, okay? I need to find a new flight."

"_Alright. I'll talk to you soon."_

He hung up the phone and cursed his bad luck. Booth couldn't believe someone had broken into their house while he was away. Someone was watching her. And he hadn't been there to protect her.


	21. You Save Me

Booth's flight couldn't land fast enough. He hailed a cab and flashed his badge, telling the driver to go quick. When the cabbie finally pulled up to Teddy's apartment, Booth tossed whatever cash he had and ran inside. He tried the knob before pounding on Teddy's door. It was six in the morning, but he could hear the rustling around inside. It was Claire who opened the door for him, letting Booth know his wife had already called in sick to work before going back to bed. His friend was sitting at the kitchen table, finishing off his bowl of cereal.

"Hey, man. I really appreciated you guys letting Bren and Drew stay here. I didn't want her there alone."

"It's no problem. I don't think I've ever seen her so afraid."

"She wasn't afraid for herself," Claire added to their conversation, "She was worried about Andrew. She told me she didn't want anything to happen to him."

"She told you?" Booth asked. He was surprised his wife would be so open with someone that wasn't himself or Angela.

"Yeah, I'm sure if Drew hadn't been involved, she wouldn't have come over. She probably would've stayed at home."

He knew Claire was right. Bren was stubborn, but luckily, she was intelligent, too. She knew better than to stay home with Drew part of the equation. He punched Teddy in the shoulder lightly as one last sign of appreciation before heading down the hall of the small apartment to find his family. He reached the guest bedroom door and heard Drew's giggles on the other side. He cracked the door open and peeked in. She was rolling around with him in the bed, tickling him as he tried to crawl away and hide under the covers. Drew noticed his father in the doorway and stopped moving. Bren took the opportunity to grab a hold of his sides and blow a large raspberry on his stomach.

"Dad!" Drew cried out between giggles. Brennan's head snapped up and to where Drew had previously been staring. With one graceful movement that Booth almost didn't see, she scooped him up with a high level of skill and certainty and moved to hug him. She held on tight and he placed a kiss on her head.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Can we get going? We have a lot of clean up to do."

"I have to call it in. We'll have it processed first, see if the tech squad can find anything that could help me find out who did it, and then we'll start cleaning up."

She nodded again. "Let's go then."

They left, bringing Teddy with them as backup. As Brennan waited in the car with Drew, the two Army veterans approached Booth and Brennan's front door wordlessly. They walked through the house with speed and ease and when they found no one, Booth went to give Bren the all clear. Booth had almost ignored the mess that had been made in their home. He first was worried about finding someone in there, but when it was safe, he couldn't ignore the elephant in the room any longer. It was a complete mess. Someone had been searching for something. Dishes were shattered, furniture was torn apart and Drew's toys were flattened. When they walked in together, it was obvious that Drew and Bren weren't home when the break in occurred. The front door was splintered; someone forced it in. But the second floor looked worse than the level below. Whatever they were looking for, they couldn't find it. Brennan's office had been hit the worse.

"What would they want with paperwork?" she mumbled, attempting to straighten out a few sheets of paper on her desk. Drew's room was left alone for the most part, and she was thankful it wouldn't need too much repair.

"While we wait for the crime scene guys, you wanna hear what I found in Ohio?" Booth asked her tentatively.

"You didn't find them, did you?"

"Not yet."

"I don't know what that means."

"It means I couldn't find them, but I think they're moving east. I think they're coming to find you and Russ."

"Why? That doesn't make sense."

"Look," he started, pulling her into their bedroom and sitting her down on the bed, "criminals like…your parents have their ways of knowing things. Maybe they heard they have a grandson. Maybe they heard you got married. Whatever it is, they want to be near you."


	22. Thank God for Kids

"I think I'm gonna go check on things at the office, see if they found anything that could lead us to who broke in."

"You're not staying, are you? You're going to come back here?"

By the next morning, they had finally cleaned up the house and put things back in their place. Drew was thankful his parents were letting him run around again now that the shards of glass from broken mirrors or shattered plates weren't scattered everywhere.

"I won't stay. I don't want to leave you two here by yourselves for too long until we know who did this," he said.

Bren shrugged and said, "Well, take him with you. You'll have one less thing to worry about and he's going to cry if you leave anyway. Drew missed you."

Booth smiled at her and looked around to find Drew. "Come on, buddy! Wanna go to work with Dad?"

Drew came running around the corner, careening into his legs. Booth laughed at his son's excitement and scooped him up before heading toward the door. Forgetting the most important part, he doubled back and placed a kiss on his wife's lips. After she gave Drew a kiss as well, she followed them to the door.

"Have fun with Dad," she told Drew as he waved his little hand to her.

* * *

After fighting his way through the secretaries, female agents and choruses of "Aww" over Drew, Booth and his little shadow made their way down to the forensic lab. Knowing the elevator would be quicker than taking the steps one by one for Drew, he let Drew push the buttons in the elevator before having to pull him away before Drew could push the buttons for every floor.

"Marcus, didja find anything?" he asked the head forensic tech as he walked into the room. The FBI lab was sandwiched between the morgue and the garage used to reconstruct vehicles in evidence.

"Nothing."

"You're joking."

"No, I'm not. No fingerprints, DNA, nothing. The only fingerprints we found belonged to you and your wife."

"Alright. Thanks, Marcus." He stood there and pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking of what to do next

"Hey, your kid is trying to get into Pathology."

Booth looked out into the hallway and saw Drew trying to open the door to the morgue. Booth ran out to the hallway and picked up Drew before he could get into the morgue or someone ran him over as they came out.

"Did your mom tell you to go in there? She'd probably let you, wouldn't she?"

Drew started laughing and wriggled out of Booth's arms. "Mom!" he shouted and ran toward the elevator.

"Okay, bub, let's go take Mom to lunch."

* * *

"Were there any fingerprints left at the house? Drew, sit down."

They were sitting at The Royal Diner or at least Booth and Bren were. Drew, who was anxiously awaiting his meal, had freed himself from the restaurant high chair and was standing dangerously on his seat.

"No, they didn't find anything. We're kind of at a dead end on this, Bren."

She just nodded and sipped at her tea. "Well, we'll put a new lock on and I'll look into getting a security system installed."

"Drew, buddy, sit down!" Booth begged. Brennan laughed when Drew still refused to listen. "Aren't you going to do something?"

"He's a Booth. He gets that adventurous side from you."

"Nah, I caught him trying to sneak into the morgue. He's more of a Brennan than anything."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Nah. He's us. It's perfect."

"So what's next?" she asked after their waitress brought a burger for Booth, a salad for Bren and a plate of fries for the three of them to split.

"I'll have Marcus go over things again, see if he can find anything in whatever evidence they took from the house and I'll see if I can make any connection between the robberies in Ohio to the one in West Virginia."

"Do you really think they're moving east to find me and Russ?"

He nodded. "If they heard about the break in, they'll find who was looking for you."

Bren looked confused. "How do you know this person was looking for me?"

"They waited 'til I left to break in."

She accepted his logic and took a fry off the plate. "I'm glad you're back," she said quietly.

He knew it would take a lot for her to admit she was scared. And while that wasn't necessarily a confession, Booth's gut told him she was at least worried.


	23. A Woman Knows

It was dark the next morning when Booth went out onto the front steps to retrieve the newspaper. The air had a chill to it and Booth pulled his robe around him just a bit tighter. The cold snapped him awake, waking his senses as well. The sun was slowly rising but it was still bright, stinging his eyes as it came up over the horizon. He bent to pick up the morning news and took a look around his neighborhood. The quiet Georgetown neighborhood they lived in was predictable. So when Booth noticed the old sedan parked across from the brownstone next to theirs, he knew it didn't belong. Without his gun and badge, it would be foolish to even approach the car. But, like the good agent he was, he went down a couple of steps, attempting to gain a better view of the license plate and the passengers. He could see a lone figure in the driver's seat and instantly knew he could take a one-on-one struggle. But he could hear Bren calling for him to turn on the coffee maker and come back up to bed for just a while longer. It was turning into one of those mornings when she didn't want to go to work; she wanted to spend a lazy day in bed with him.

"I'll be up in a second!" he called over his shoulder.

He memorized what plate numbers and letters he could make out and decided to let the computer search find the rest. Booth knew he was probably just being overly cautious, so he stepped back inside and locked the door behind him. As he felt his body shudder at the adjustment of the warm temperature back now he was back inside, he went to the window and peeked out at the car. The headlights had turned on and pull away down the block.

"Booth!" he heard Bren call, "I'm not as exhausted from last night as you claimed I would be. One more before Drew wakes up!"

He laughed, knowing her shouting would certainly wake their toddler, but she wasn't about to leave that bed.

Forgetting about the car, he leaped up the stairs taking two or three at a time and pounced right back into bed with his wife.

* * *

Brennan's last day at Georgetown University was quite uneventful. She sat in her office, finishing paperwork and submitting final grades for her classes. When the day was over, she swung by the day care to pick up Drew and headed over to Angela's. They had been planning a girls' night celebration for a while to enjoy themselves before Bren started at the Jeffersonian. Angela demanded that Drew come along.

"There's my little big man!" Angela greeted Drew and Brennan when they showed up at the Hodgins estate. Drew, perched on his mother's hip, leaned toward his godmother with outstretched arms. Angela took the baby and gave him a big hug. "Where's my kiss?"

Drew puckered his lips and waited from the kiss from Angela as he surveyed the rooms behind her, looking for the next thing to play with or climb on. Angela planted a kiss on his cheek before setting him free to roam about.

The two walked to the kitchen and Angela poured a glass of wine for the both of them.

"Are you ready for this new job?"

"I'm quite anxious, yes. I just want to start tomorrow."

Angela smiled and passed the glass to her friend. "Next week will be here soon enough. Just spend this time with Drew at home and then you can get right to work next week."

"I need to use the remainder of this week wisely. I need to find a good daycare for Drew."

"You know," Angela said, giving her wine glass a once over, "You and Booth never had that real wedding you promised each other."

"Wow. I haven't thought about that in a while. I'm sure Booth forgot about it."

Angela shook her head. "I don't think so, Sweetie. No way a man like your husband forgets about something like that."

Brennan shrugged. "Should I talk to him about it? Maybe start planning something with him?"

"Or we could surprise him," Angela said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

"I don't know, Ange. It's his wedding too. Isn't he supposed to have a say as well?"

"You're going to let me have a say in our wedding, aren't you?" Jack asked as he walked into the kitchen, holding Drew, who was whimpering just a little. The toddler had been crying and his eyes were red. He forced himself from Jack's arms and dashed over to Bren. She knelt down to his level and looked him over as Jack explained. "He tripped over the rug in the hallway and knocked his head. Is he alright?"

"He's going to have a bump. He'll be fine." Brennan kissed his forehead and Drew wrapped his arms around her neck. She stood, still holding him and looked at Jack. "What did you say?"

"Did you say _our _wedding? Are we getting married, Jack?"

Hodgins blushed. "Uh…um, well, not necessarily. I was just curious."

The two women looked at each other, smiles covering their faces as Jack fled the room.


	24. Spirit of a Storm

The days and weeks passed and neither Booth nor Brennan realized how fast time was flying by. The topic of a wedding was never brought up. Booth was busy climbing the ladder at the bureau and Brennan just wanted to gain the respect and trust of her new colleagues at the Jeffersonian. It was Halloween before either of them realized and Booth was adamant about taking Drew out to Trick-or-Treat.

"He doesn't need all of that candy, Booth."

He shrugged. "I'll eat it. He won't know. He's too little."

She rolled her eyes and continued to work on fixing dinner. Drew came toddling into the room and Booth scooped him and stood him on the kitchen counter. "Bub, what do you wanna be for Halloween?"

"You!"

Booth laughed and shook his head. "No, buddy, how about a ghost?"

Drew looked at Brennan, who shook her head. He looked back at his dad and said, "No!"

"Okay, what about…a bear?"

He looked back at his mom again and this time, Brennan just shrugged. "At least it's more realistic than a ghost."

"No!" Drew said again.

Booth smiled and rolled his eyes at Brennan. "You're not helping, Bren."

"Why don't you let him pick what he wants to be?"

"Alright, buddy, we'll let you pick."

"I would appreciate if you took his feet off the counter. He's all dirty and he needs a bath."

Booth lifted Drew again and set him down so he was sitting on the counter. "What do you wanna be for Halloween?" Booth asked again.

Drew wiggled out of his father's protective grasp so he could stand on the counter again. Drew lifted one leg and held an arm to his chest as he stuck the other straight out.

"Did you teach him the Heisman pose?" Brennan asked incredulously.

"What, he's the son of a football player. He needs to know these things!"

Brennan laughed. "He doesn't even know that the Heisman trophy is. I barely understand it. How can he want to be that for Halloween? I'm not dressing my son up like a trophy."

"Nah, you wanna be a football player, huh, Bub?"

"Yes!" Drew jumped a bit, throwing an arm up in the air in success.

"Can you get him off the counter now? He's making me nervous. He's already got one nasty bruise on his head. He doesn't need another."

"Okay, bub. Time to get down. We don't need Mom to be a nervous wreck, huh?"

Drew leapt off the counter and into Booth's arms.

"Don't let him do that!" Brennan cried.

"Why not? I caught him."

"Because one of these days, he's going to jump and you won't catch him."

Booth looked at Drew. "Don't jump until I'm ready, okay, Bub?"

He nodded and Booth set him on the floor. Booth walked up behind Brennan, who was standing at the sink peeling potatoes, and wrapped his arms around her. "I'll catch him," he whispered in her ear, "I always do."

She pulled her ear away from him but she couldn't go too far. Leaving light kisses along her neck and shoulder, she leaned into his touch. "If you keep doing that, dinner is never going to be finished," she whispered back. He chuckled a bit but continued what he was doing.

"I'm not that hungry," he muttered between kisses.

She laughed loudly. "That's a first. Can we keep a record of this? Seeley Booth isn't hungry!"

* * *

On Halloween, Booth was in charge of dressing Drew while Brennan took pictures. If Angela had been there, they would've gone through several rolls of film before Drew was even completely in his costume. The football pads were made out of cardboard since real pads are practically non-existent for toddlers. Clad in tennis shoes, tie-dyed socks, purple football pants and a little Northwestern jersey, Drew couldn't decide on which he wanted to carry more: his helmet or his football. The helmet was too big for his little head and wearing it would only cause issues when he went door to door. The jersey was just like his dad's from college. With his name and number on the back, Drew was ready and waiting by the door.

"Bren, take a picture of this!" Booth called and then turned back to Drew. "Bub, say 'Go Wildcats!'"

"Go Wildcats!'" Drew shouted, holding one finger up in the air. Brennan laughed and took the picture.

"Your dad has you trained, doesn't he?"

Drew just nodded, her words flying over his head.

"Bren, you want to come with us?"

"No, I'm going to stay and pass out candy. Angela's coming over later anyway. She wants to see Drew in his costume."

"Okay, but be safe, alright?"

"I will. Have fun, Drew."

"Bye, Mom."

* * *

Angela arrived later than planned but she had a bottle of wine as a peace offering. They talked about work, Jack, Booth and Drew until the latter two came home. He was carrying Drew with one arm and the pillowcase full of candy in the other hand. Drew was asleep against his dad's shoulder.

"He's exhausted. I'm gonna go change him and put him in bed. Knock yourselves out. He got more candy than I expected."

Booth tossed the pillowcase onto the couch between Angela and Brennan before heading upstairs. Angela dove right in and snatched up a large chocolate bar. "Mmm, chocolate and wine. This night couldn't get any better," she mused, "And how cute was he?"

"Who? Booth?"

Angela laughed. "No, Bren, Drew. That costume was adorable. Did Booth come up with that?"

"Yes, but originally, he had wanted Drew to wear one of his old jerseys but Drew could wear the sleeve as a shirt and it'd still be too big." They both laughed and Brennan picked up a smaller piece of chocolate.

As she unwrapped it, Angela dropped a bombshell, "I want to elope."

"What?"

"Jack wants to get married. But I'm not sure I want a big wedding. Well, I do, but I want that adventure. I miss how carefree college was. Now all I do is wake up, work, go home, and sleep. I want to be back in college. I want to go party and be wild and crazy. And I want you, Studly, and the little guy to come with."

"I don't know, Ange…"

"Jack said if I can convince you guys to come, we'll go to Vegas some weekend and get married and fly back."

"Angela, I don't know if I want to take Drew on a plane yet. He's still awfully young to be confined for such a long period of time. It was different when he was an infant. He couldn't even crawl yet. Now that he's all over the place, it's going to be difficult."

"That's the beauty of having a private jet! Drew can run around and we can get up and stretch and it'll be perfect."

"Let's do it, Bren. We need to get away and there are plenty of things we can do with Drew! It'll be fun, babe," Booth whispered as he came down the stairs.

"Plus, you know the drill, I need witnesses. It would only be fair if you two returned the favor," Angela guilt tripped.

With the memories flooding back of her own spontaneous wedding at the Philadelphia court house, Brennan relented. "Fine, let's go to Vegas."


	25. I Lost It

**A/N: Anything you read about Vegas in the next couple of chapters is either from research or what I've seen on **_**CSI**_**. I've never been to Las Vegas but I'm going to do my best on making an accurate description.**

* * *

When everyone had secured a long three day weekend away from work, they boarded Hodgins' private plane as soon as everyone was done with work on that Thursday night. The trip didn't seem as long as it should've. There was plenty of space for Drew to play, and apart from the infrequent turbulence which made him bury his face in his mother's neck, the little ball of energy was constantly on the move. Jack and Angela were more than happy to play with him, keep him from getting bored and out of trouble, giving Booth and Brennan a little time to themselves.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

"Apparently, we need to throw a bachelor and bachelorette party. Angela is quite adamant about it, although, I'm not sure it's going to be easy with Drew."

"We could've left him with my mom," he suggested, watching Drew tackle Angela, "You know she always wants us to visit and Sadie and Sasha love him."

"I know," she relented, "But…"

"What's wrong? Do you not want him to stay with Lizzie?"

"No, Lizzie is not my problem. I completely trust her with Drew, but…I-ˮ

"You've never left him for longer than a night, have you?"

"I'd miss him a lot if we would've left him with your mom. I'd be thinking about him and worrying the whole time. What?" she caught him smiling at her.

"Nothing. You're wonderful." He kissed more passionately than he normally would have in front of others.

* * *

By the time they landed in city in the desert, it was way past Drew's bed time but he fought off the sleep as soon as he saw the lights and heard all of the noise on the Strip. He stared out the window, watching all of the people still crowded outside. The casino lights were enthralling and Drew bounced in his seat, eager to be free from the restriction of the plane and the hold his father had on him while they rode with one of Jack's drivers to their hotel.

Angela and Jack were insistent on putting them up in a hotel. Booth and Bren were ready to settle on a smaller hotel just off the Strip, but Angela was not having it. They had already booked two suites at one of the swankier hotels with a large casino attached and enough in-house activities to keep them busy for days on end. They weren't surprised that Drew would end up with his own bed, but they had no idea he'd have his own room. The suite itself was bigger than the first apartment they had shared back in Evanston. When Booth refused to let Hodgins pay for it, he confronted his friend and put up a fight, but Booth eventually lost. Angela said they deserved the room and space because, "Drew wants to be a big brother and that's not going to happen if the little guy is less than a yard away."

Booth and Brennan set to work on planning the bachelor and bachelorette parties for that Friday night. Booth knew what he wanted to plan for Hodgins but Brennan seemed to struggle.

"Normally, I would go to Angela on advice for things like this. But she wants me to surprise her. Do you have any ideas?"

"Well, I'm not about to send my wife out to see some male strippers, if that's what you're asking my permission for," Booth said with a wink.

"Why would I want to see that?" Brennan asked, her confusion genuine.

He laughed. "I don't know. Well, I guess we should figure out who's taking Drew for the night so we can tame down the activities."

"I can take him," Brennan said.

"Well, then it won't really be a bachelorette party if there's a man there."

"Technically, he's still a child. He won't hit puberty until-ˮ

"I know, babe. But do you want me to take him. Jack told me not to plan too much anyway. He knows Angela wants to go all out tomorrow night. You two should have fun. Maybe we'll just take Drew to one of those acrobatic shows."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. You and Angela need to have some fun."

Angela walked into their suite and said, -"Oh, we'll have fun alright, Studly. Don't you worry."

* * *

The next night was a long one and Angela and Brennan didn't return to their respective rooms until almost one thirty and they went to bed almost immediately. Booth had Drew already down for the night after wearing him out by taking him to family friendly shows and showing him the light shows along on the strip. Booth was having a hard time falling asleep. He laid next to his wife and stared out the window watching the stars move across the sky. His phone vibrated on the nightstand loud enough to wake the neighbors and he snatched it as fast as his reflexes would allow to make sure Bren stayed asleep.

_Let's go downstairs._

He rolled his eyes at Hodgins' text.

**Why?**

_Your wife and son are asleep. My bride is snoring like a logger. Let's go down to the casino. We won't actually leave the building. Just leave Bren a note._

**What are we going to do down there? We took Drew to the buffet already. The food was not as good as you said.**

_Sorry it isn't as good as your wife's but screw the buffet. Let's hit the slots or play some blackjack. _

Booth thought it over. Their bachelor party hadn't really been a true bachelor party seeing as they were watching over a rambunctious toddler as their wives drank themselves to near oblivion.

**I'll meet you on the first floor, **he sent back.

Booth got out of bed. After writing a note for Bren in case she woke up and changing his clothes, he pocketed his wallet and headed for the door. As he walked through the suite, he spied Brennan's bag. He hesitated, but opened her wallet and grabbed the remaining cash. Adding it to the wad in his wallet, he glanced back to the room where Brennan was sleeping and left the room.


	26. That's Why I'm Here

"Okay, man. You're done. Come on, let's get you back upstairs before Bren notices you spent all her money."

"I can't. I gotta win it back. Just…give me a few more shots. I'll get her money back and then some. And it's _our _money."

Hodgins stood behind Booth at the Craps table and looked to the dealer for help. The man gave Hodgins a sympathetic look and went back to the game.

"I'm not kidding, Booth. Brennan's gonna be pissed when she finds out what you're doing. Look, I gotta get to bed. My wedding's tomorrow. And that means my best man should probably get to bed too."

"Jack, seriously, just let me stay for ten more minutes. I can get all the money back."

Jack snapped the rubber band on his wrist a few times while he paced and decided on his next plan of action.

"I'm not joking around, Booth. If you don't walk away now…I'll call Bren," he threatened.

Booth shot him a glare and practically dared him to do it. He turned back to the table and placed his bet. He watched Hodgins disappear in the crowd, glad the guy was finally leaving him alone.

Hodgins reached the front desk and asked the woman behind it to use the phone to call upstairs. He dialed his own room number and Angela snapped it up quickly.

"Where are you, handsome? I woke up for a late night snack and all I found was your note," Angela's voice came through the phone. The purr in her voice made Hodgins instantly regret his decision to pull Booth from his room earlier.

"I need you to do something, Angie."

She heard the desperation in his voice. "What is it, Jack? Is everything alright?"

"I need you to go wake up Bren. I need her to come down here and she'll probably take this news better from you. Booth spent all of their money at the tables. He's practically out. I'm afraid he's going to start tapping into their bank accounts soon. I can't get him to come back upstairs."

"Okay, I'll get Bren. Where are you guys?"

Jack let her know where to have Brennan meet him and hung up. He paced in front of the elevators while he waited for Bren to appear. When she finally did, Hodgins had never seen a woman so pissed off before. With very few words exchanged, he led her to the table where Booth was in the process of gambling away the last of his chips.

"Dude, someone wants to talk to you and it isn't the gaming commissioner. In fact, I think you're going to wish it was the gaming commissioner," a fellow gambler told Booth when Brennan stood behind him.

He turned around and saw his friend and his wife standing behind him.

"Where's Drew?"

"Asleep," she barked, "Angela's sitting with him. What's going on?"

"Craps, baby. Come on, I'll teach you how to play."

"No. You do not get to call me baby right now. This is the last…round or whatever of this game and then you're done. And then we're going upstairs to go back to bed and we can talk about it in the morning because I'm still hungover right now and I'm too mad to talk to you. So let's go."

Seeley Booth was not a man with many fears, but seeing his wife angry topped his list.

"You better go, buddy," the guy next to him said, "Plus, if you fix whatever pickle you're in, you'll probably get some hot makeup sex out of it."

Booth ignored the man and took the last couple of chips he had managed to hang onto. The elevator ride between the three of them back up to their rooms was a quiet one. They went to Booth and Brennan's suite, where Hodgins woke a sleeping Angela and took her back to their own suite. Booth climbed into bed and waited for Bren to get out of the bathroom so he could talk to her.

She opened the bathroom door, slipped on a pair of socks and walked out of their room.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going to check on Drew. Go to sleep. I'm staying in Drew's room tonight."

"Baby-ˮ

"Don't. Just…go to bed. We'll talk about this later." Her voice was gentler, he realized, though he knew it could only be because she was exhausted and their son was asleep. He felt the itch to go back downstairs and win all the money back, but it was almost six in the morning, and Drew would be up soon. He didn't sleep though. Booth knew she was punishing him by not sleeping in their room and that wouldn't be the last of it. He knew she would put on a happy face for Jack and Angela's big day, but the second they were alone, she'd go right back to being pissed. He had known her for years now and he always knew her next move.

* * *

"You may now kiss the bride," the minister said. Drew clapped and Booth and Brennan cheered for their friends as they made their way out of the Little White Chapel in Vegas. Angela had begged to go through the drive-thru for the thrill and novelty of it but Jack wanted some semblance of a wedding so it was agreed upon that they all go in the chapel. The wedding party soon made their way to one of the swankier restaurants in town for dinner before the newlyweds snuck off for the night. The tension between Booth and Brennan was palpable but they each tried to not let it affect the night. They all made plans to meet up for brunch the next morning before heading back to D.C.

Angela and Jack took off down the Strip, leaving Booth, Bren and Drew standing outside the restaurant. She held Drew on her hip and kept him close out of fear of losing him in the crowd.

"So is there anything you want to see before we leave?" he asked her.

"No, apart from wasting all of our money, is there anything you want to do?" Even Brennan winced at her harshness and she immediately wished she could take it back.

"Bren, I…I don't know what got into me last night. I'm sorry. It shouldn't have gotten that bad."

"Did you really flush our accounts?"

"Huh? Oh, you mean drain our accounts?" He knew better than to correct her at a time like this so he continued like he hadn't said a thing, "No, is that what Angela told you? I only had the cash from my wallet and yours. I hadn't made it over to the ATM yet. Although, if Jack hadn't called you, I was headed there."

"So we can still make the house and car payment?"

He nodded and wrapped his arms around her and Drew.

"I'm sorry, babe."

"I know."

He placed a kiss on the top of her head and she leaned into his touch. They looked extremely out of place in their dress clothes from the wedding and as they walked farther down the Strip, they weren't the most oddly dressed. There were magicians and street performers everywhere and Drew was instantly drawn to them. By late evening, he was asleep in Brennan's arms and they went back to their suite. Across the hall, the 'Do Not Disturb' sign was already hanging on the door knob of Jack and Angela's suite. Booth nudged Bren and nodded his head toward their friends' door. Brennan laughed softly and smiled at him.

"Leave them alone," she warned. "No pranks or anything."

They walked in and put Drew to bed together. The two went back into their own room to get ready for bed. As she was brushing her teeth, he asked, "Where do you want to go for our honeymoon?"

She rinsed her mouth and gave him a wary look. "Don't you think it's a little late for a honeymoon?"

"Never! We should go somewhere."

"What about a real ceremony?"

He shook his head. "I'd rather have a honeymoon," he said as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. She laughed and shook her head.

"Okay, so where would we go?"

"Chicago."

"Not happening."

"Why not?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "We left Chicago for a reason. I don't want to go back to Illinois. Too many bad memories there."

"But a lot of good ones too," he countered.

"I suppose you're right, but you want to go back to Chicago, what, to relive your glory days?"

"No, I want to show Drew the stadium I played at and where we met and where I proposed to you!"

"I thought the point of a honeymoon was no children?" she asked.

"Well…you have a point. It would be fun to hole up in a hotel room for a few days."

"Like we did last time? The last time we did that we had a son."

"Would another kid be so bad?"

"Of course not! But don't you want to wait until Drew is a bit older?"

"Not really. Do you?" he pried.

"Not really."

"Well we can start now," he whispered as he pulled her to bed.


	27. Reality

**A/N: Just so you know, the gambling thing isn't over yet. This won't be the last you see of it. Thought you all deserved a warning.**

**

* * *

**

The flight home seemed quicker than the one there. It was late when they got back to D.C. and all had to go to work the next day. After putting Drew to bed, the two fell into their own bed. But Brennan couldn't fall asleep. She was worried. That hadn't been the first time Booth had gotten into some gambling issues and she wondered if there was a larger issue there than just getting caught up in the moment. She got out of bed and went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea. It didn't do much to calm her and after checking on Drew, she went back to bed still with much on her mind.

"Where'd you go?" he mumbled when she slid back underneath the covers, "I don't like waking up alone."

"Couldn't sleep. Still can't."

"Maybe I can help." He moved over her and left a trail of kisses down her neck. When he moved back to her lips, she pulled away.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Bren," he whispered, attempting to pull her back. She resisted and he sighed. Moving back to his side of the bed, he asked, "What's wrong, Babe?"

"I'm worried about you."

"Why?"

"You've been gambling. You lost a lot of money the other night and I didn't know if I was going to be able to stop you."

"Bren, it was Jack's bachelor party. We wanted to have some fun. He deserved one last hurrah. Are you mad?"

"Yes. No. Just…frustrated."

"Why?" he asked again.

"Because, Booth, I don't know how often you really have been gambling without me knowing! Can we still make the house payment or am I going to need to start working overtime for that?" She knew she had lost her temper, but keeping her temper in check was the last think she was concerned about.

He didn't answer but she knew it anyway.

"You can't keep doing this, Seeley."

"I'll stop, okay? I will."

"Will you or are you just saying that? I don't know what to believe."

"You don't trust me."

She sighed. "I do. And that's the scary part."

* * *

They got up the next morning and completed their routine in silence. When Brennan was done in the bathroom, she walked to her bedside table to retrieve her earrings and wedding ring. Lying between the lamp and the glass of water that accompanied her jewelry was a small glass dolphin, catching the light off the lamp. She hadn't seen it the night before, but she also had other pressing issues on her mind. She picked it up and examined it. Booth walked out of the bathroom and selected a tie from his ever-growing collection.

"What's that?" he asked her, breaking the stillness of the morning.

She turned to him and held it out.

"You get that in Vegas?"

She shook her head, still not saying a word.

"What's wrong?"

"This isn't mine."

"I'm confused."

"It was on my nightstand. I didn't see it last night. Did you get this?"

"No. Bren, if that doesn't belong to either of us, who's is it?"

"Booth, someone was here."

"The security system was still armed when we got back and there's no forced entry on the door. No one could've gotten in here," he reasoned. He checked the table on his side of the bed. "There's nothing here."

"Something's not right, Booth."

"Okay just take that downstairs and put it in a baggie. I'll take it to work and see if I can get Marcus to pull come prints from it."

"You'll only get mine. My hands have been all over it."

He sighed. She looked afraid, but confused.

"I'll try anyway. We'll find out who left this and who broke in."

"Should we take Drew to your Mom's for a little while? I mean, until we get…whoever's breaking in." He noticed her hesitation. Something was up.

"We can. Bren, do you know who's doing this?" he went into cop mode, "I mean, why leave a dolphin? And why only for you? It's not like you have enemies. If anyone had enemies, it'd be me. Do you know who's doing this?"

"My mother or maybe Dad," she said after a few minutes of silence. With the argument of last night seemingly forgotten, he moved closer to her and pressed a kiss to her temple.

"How do you know?" he whispered.

"Mom…and I loved dolphins," she told him.

He nodded, wondering why he didn't know that before. There were some things about her and her past that were still a mystery to him. Not that these tidbits were vital to making their marriage work, but he had assumed they shared everything. _That street goes two ways, Bren. Trust me and I'll trust you_, he thought.


	28. Scare Me

"Booth!"

"What's up, Marcus? You finally decide to leave that dingy hole you call a lab for some field work?"

"I got a print off that dolphin."

He sat up in his chair straighter and told Marcus to bring the file to him.

"Who's the print belong to?" Booth asked.

"Max Keenan. You're still looking for him aren't you?"

Booth nodded. "You get anything else off of it?"

"Just your wife's prints, sir. But you said she was the one who found it."

"Yeah, she doesn't really know crime scene protocols so she picked it up without putting gloves on or using something else to touch it. Are you sure there's nothing else?"

"Just a few partials from Doctor Brennan and a complete print from Max Keenan."

Booth kept nodding, thinking of his next plan. "Okay, see if you can trace that. Maybe find a manufacturer or an artist."

"Alright, I'll see what I can find."

Booth sighed as he watched Marcus take the evidence back down to the FBI lab. He hated this part. Sitting around and waiting for the Squints to find something useful. He had nothing to do but catch up on paperwork. He dialed his wife's office number and she picked up on the fourth ring.

"_Doctor Brennan,"_ she answered.

"Hey, Bren," he sounded dejected, tired and almost hopeless.

"_What's wrong?"_

Booth sighed. "Marcus got a print off the dolphin from your nightstand."

"_Was it Mom or Dad?"_

"Your dad."

Brennan didn't say anything for a minute. He let her digest the information for a bit before he spoke again. "Marcus is going to help me find whoever made it and then I'm going to go see if I can figure out who bought it. Hopefully, it's as easy as it sounds. Maybe Max bought it with a credit card or something we can trace him with. We're gonna find them, Bren."

"_I know. But…"_

"But what, Babe?"

"_Maybe we should stop."_

"Why?"

"_If he knows where we live, but won't actually come talk to me, maybe there's a reason. Maybe…"_

"Do you want to stop?"

She didn't answer. Brennan really didn't even know her answer.

"Then, no," Booth said firmly, "We're not going to stop."

* * *

By mid afternoon, Marcus still hadn't returned with news on the dolphin. Booth decided to check up on the forensic tech himself to see if any progress had been made.

"Whatcha got, Marcus?" Booth asked the tech who was leaned over a microscope.

"I was just about to call you. I think I've found the signature."

"What do you mean?"

Marcus sat up from the microscope and said, "Painters sign their paintings. Potters sign their pottery. This guy, whoever made the dolphin, signed it too. Take a look."

Warily, Booth put his eyes to the microscope and looked at the stamp at the tip of the dolphin's tail. "NL 91?"

"I think it's the guys' initials and the year he made it."

Booth nodded. "Think he's here in D.C.?"

Marcus shrugged. "If your guy travels as much as you say he does, it could be from any one of the cities he's stopped in."

"Damn. Well, I'll try D.C. first and the work my way across the Midwest, see if any glass blowers can remember this dolphin."

* * *

Booth sat at his desk, staring at the dolphin through the evidence bag. _In '91, her parents left. We met in '94 and graduated from Northwestern in '98. Drew was born in 2000 and he's almost two,_ Booth's train of thought repeated over and over in his head.

On his computer, he pulled up a list of glass makers around Burtonsville, Illinois. There was only one about thirty minutes from Brennan's hometown.

Dialing the number, he hoped it was his lucky day.

"This is Special Agent Booth with the FBI, I was wondering if you had or still have an artist with the initials 'NL'," Booth asked when someone answered the phone.

"_Why, that's me! Norman Lewis. Is there something wrong?"_ the man asked, his accent too thick to be a native of the Midwestern state. Booth pegged him as Texan, but now he was getting off track.

"I have a question about a piece you made, probably back in 1991."

"_Wow," _he breathed, _"That was a long time ago. I'll do my best, Agent. This old man's memory isn't what it used to be."_

"I have a little glass dolphin here as a piece of evidence in a case. You wouldn't happen to remember the dolphin or maybe even who bought it, would you?"

"_As a matter of fact…I do remember. That was a custom order piece. I don't really make dolphins or even little figurines like that one, but this man came into my shop, said his wife was ranting and raving about how good my works are and he wanted me to make a little dolphin to give to her for Christmas. Apparently, she loved dolphins. Anyway, the man and his daughter, pretty little thing she was too, almost as tall as her dad, came in a picked it up about a week before Christmas."_

Now he was getting somewhere. He was going to have to call Bren again after this to see if she remembered going Lewis' shop. "Do you remember the guy's name? Or maybe even his daughter's name? I'm looking for the guy who bought it."

"_Hmm, now I'm not sure if I can remember the girl's name but…shoot, I might recognize the man's name."_

"What about Max Keenan?"

"_Nah, that doesn't seem right."_

"Matthew Brennan?" Booth tried.

"_Bingo! That's it!"_

"Have you seen him since?"

"_No, I was hopin' he'd turn into a regular customer, being that he said his wife loved my work and all but I never saw him after that."_

"What about his daughter?"

"_Hmm, maybe. I'm pretty sure she went to the same school my Lisa did. There was only one high school out in this area at the time, you know, a little rural place like this. But, I don't really remember too much."_

Booth thanked the man and hung up.

He dialed Bren's number again.

"_Doctor Brennan."_

"Bren, do you remember going to a store with your father right before they left?"

"_I went to the grocery store with them all the time."_

"No, babe, like to get a Christmas present for your mom."

She didn't answer, but he could tell she was thinking.

"_Yeah, Dad took me to this little store. I didn't really want to go because it was a bit of a drive but Dad promised me ice cream after. He knew I was kind of klutzy and he told me I'd have to be careful. It was a glass shop with all kinds of bowls and…Oh…"_

"Oh what?"

"_Mom's Christmas present…it was that dolphin, wasn't it?"_

"Yeah, it was."

"_Is she dead?"_

"Bren! Don't say that. We don't know. I'm looking for them as if they were both alive. We know your father is, we just need some solid proof on your mom."

"_If Mom was still alive, why wouldn't she leave the dolphin? Why Dad?"_

She had a point. Dolphins were her mom's thing.

"I don't know, babe. I'm going to figure it out, okay?"

"_Alright. Are you going to be home in time for dinner?"_

"I'm planning on it."

"_Okay, I'll see you in a little while. I love you."_

"I love you too."

* * *

Brennan pulled Drew from his car seat and set him next to her as she reached for his diaper bag. Without warning, the toddler took off for the front door.

"Drew!" She shut the passenger door and ran after him.

He stopped at the front steps and turned to look at his mom. "Home!" he said, pointing a small finger at the door. She stopped and smiled. Brennan wanted to scold him, and she knew she should, but she couldn't. She saw too much of his father in him. His eyes and his smile got to her. She stood there watching him for a second before kneeling down to his level.

Drew jumped and started crying at the sound of popcorn. Was it popcorn? Or something worse? She pulled him close and her instincts told her to stay down. Brennan observed her surroundings and found splinters on the brick sidewalk beneath her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw a bullet wedged in the wall of their house. Brennan ditched the diaper bag and scooped Drew up into the most protective hold she could. After nervously fumbling for her house key, she made a dash for the door and slammed the door behind her. She pulled Drew into the kitchen, as far away from the front of the house as she could before reaching for the phone and dialing Booth's number.

"You need to get home now," she yelled into the phone over Drew's cries, "Someone's shooting at me."


	29. Demons

**A/N: It's short, I know. But I didn't want to leave you guys with that cliffhanger for too long. That being said...there's sort of another at the end of this chapter. Please forgive me :)**

* * *

Booth pulled up to his house, somewhat blocked by other FBI cars. The siren lights were harsh on the brick house in front of him and his heart stopped when he saw Teddy Parker come out of his house. He ran to his friend.

"What are you doing here? You're in homicide! Bren and Drew…" He couldn't finish his sentence.

"Seeley," Teddy started, "They're-ˮ

"We're fine, Booth," Bren said, appearing in the doorway with Drew on her hip. Booth leapt up the stairs and ushered her back into the house.

"Don't go outside! Someone's taking shots at you. You need to stay inside."

"I'm not going to get shot with dozens of FBI agents and forensic techs around me," she countered.

"Hi, Dad," Drew said, breaking up their bickering.

"Hi, Bub. You okay?"

Drew nodded and stretched his arms out to his dad. Booth took him from Brennan and gave him a hug.

"Look, I just want you two to stay inside for a while. You're not going to work tomorrow, Drew's not going to daycare and I'm going to stay here with you to make sure everything's okay."

"That is unnecessary, Booth!" Brennan's temper flared.

"Sergeant," Teddy interrupted them, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Yeah, Parker, just a second."

He waited for Teddy to give them some privacy again. He set Drew at their feet, leaving their son to look up to get a good angle at what was going on.

"I'm worried. What if this was who broke in?"

She laughed skeptically. "I doubt my father would be trying to kill Drew and I."

"I don't mean that. I mean whoever trashed our house. They were looking for something."

"Agent Booth," Teddy butt in again, "I need to talk to you."

"Agent Parker, can I have a minute with my wife?" Booth growled though his teeth.

"Be nice. I requested Teddy when I called it in. I knew they wouldn't allow you to work this," Brennan said.

Booth nodded. The hardened scowl on his face disappeared and he kissed her, sending up a silent prayer that whoever shot at her missed.

"I'll be right back. Stay here with Mom, Drew."

Despite his father's directions, Drew followed Booth over to where he was talking with Teddy.

"What, Parker?"

"You're off the case."

"I never worked this case, Teddy," Booth said.

"No, I mean the one you're working on. The one on Bren's parents."

"Absolutely not! I told her I'd find them and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

Teddy nodded. "Look, Director Kirby already told me it's my case. Now, I'm willing to let you help. Full participation. But I'm taking the lead on this one. You're too close. You need to take care of Bren and Drew."

Booth knew he wasn't going to budge. And as much as he hated it, he knew things were getting out of hand. Booth agreed and told Parker he'd meet him at the office the following afternoon after spending the morning with his family.

"I'm sorry, Sarge. Just take care of your family, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow, Parker."

It was a while before all of the FBI personnel finally left. Drew had fallen asleep early, worn out from the scare and the excitement around his home. Brennan slept through the night, but Booth could barely shut his eyes. He was worried. Worried they'd never find the Keenans. Worried for Drew. Worried for his wife's life.

When morning finally arrived, he made breakfast for Bren and Drew.

"Chocolate chip pancakes?" Bren questioned as she and Drew came down the stairs, step by step at the toddler's pace, "I don't know if he should be having sugar this early in the morning."

"He'll wear himself out and he'll take a long nap," Booth promised. She hugged him and they shared a long kiss that caused a few pancakes to be a little crispy on one side.

There was a knock on the door and Drew ran to the window to peek out at the front steps to get a look at their visitor.

"I'll get it," Brennan said, releasing herself from his arms.

"No! Stay away from the doors and windows!" He followed her to the front door, but she had already opened it.

"Hi, baby!" The man looked familiar, Bren knowing him from her past and Booth recognizing the similarities to a mug shot.

"Dad?"


	30. She Always Says It First

"Hi, baby girl. You look good. I'm a little upset I didn't get a wedding invite or a birth announcement, but I forgive you," Max Keenan said, pulling Brennan into a hug. Booth's mind was racing. Should he run upstairs to get his handcuffs or give them some time to talk?

"Dad? I…Where's Mom?"

"Sweetheart, she's…"

"Yeah, I figured," Brennan snapped.

"I'm so proud of you, Tempe."

"Thanks," she said suspiciously, "Uh, Booth?"

"What?"

She nodded toward Max once, trying to get something across.

He wondered, _Husband over FBI agent? Should I introduce myself to my father-in-law or just arrest him?_

"Seeley Booth," he said, holding a hand out to shake.

Max smiled and took his hand. "I assume you're taking good care of my girl."

"Yes, sir."

"I can take care of myself. Booth, what the hell?"

"What? Oh! Um, well…" He pulled Bren away from Max and whispered, "I can't arrest your father. I'm going to call Teddy and have him take care this. It's a conflict of interest!"

"I don't care. Arrest him!"

"I can't! I don't want you using that against me in an argument. And don't say you won't because I know how you are."

Their voices were hushed and they were only interrupted by Drew, who was pulling on the seams of Brennan's pants. She lifted him up and rested Drew on her hip while she continued her discussion with Booth.

"I do not!"

"Can I say something?" Max said, taking a step closer.

"What?" they both barked at him.

"Let the other agent arrest me. I'll go quietly, but don't make your husband do it, Tempe."

She heaved a big sigh and looked between Max and Booth.

"Fine."

Brennan walked away and took Drew into the kitchen to serve up some lukewarm pancakes for him. She set him in his chair and sat next to him, cutting the small pancakes up into even smaller pieces.

Booth and Max followed, Booth going back to the pancake batter and Max sat at the table across from his daughter and grandson.

"Are you going to tell me my grandson's name?"

"You don't already know?" Brennan asked, "If you figured out where we lived, I'm sure you know his name already."

Max knew she would be short with him, but he didn't expect her to be this hostile. "I know you call him Drew," he said, hoping she'd give him a little more.

"His name is Andrew Parker Booth, born on Independence Day, what else do you want to know?"

"He's one, right?"

"Yes. Although some mothers insist on giving their children's ages in months, I've never seen the logic of it. Sure, it gives a more accurate timeline but I find it superfluous."

"Does she use big words like this all the time?" Max looked to Booth. He nodded.

"Booth, did you call Teddy?" she asked while watching Drew feed himself.

"Not yet. I will when I get breakfast done."

She stood and walked to the phone. She pulled it from the cradle and started dialing a number.

"Bren!" Booth dropped the spatula back into the bowl of batter, not caring about the mess it made. He raced after her and tried grabbing the phone.

"Agent Parker? Hi, it's Bren. Yeah, I need you to come over right now…Yes, right now. No, I'm fine. My father is here. Yes, he's here. No, Booth won't do it. Okay, I'll see you soon," she shouted through the phone as Booth attempted to wrestle it away from her.

"Bren, seriously, why did you have to do that? Can't you just eat breakfast and take your time to say hi to him?"

"I already did," she countered. Brennan moved around him to head back to the kitchen, feeling slightly uncomfortable by leaving her son alone with a man she hardly knew anymore.

Booth sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. He knew she was unsure how to handle this sudden rush of emotions, and the only way he knew how to help her was to give her time. Give her time to spend with her father and time to process what was going on. Brennan's brain was working overtime at the moment and he didn't want that machine of hers to overheat.

He followed her back into the kitchen where she was watching Max gently wipe the remnants of Drew's pancake from his face. Drew was watching Max, intrigued by the man in front of him. He was studying Max, wondering if he should cry for his mom or let the man take care of him.

"He's family, Bren," Booth whispered in her ear, "That's what you wanted, right?"


	31. I Remember

"That is not Max Keenan."

"Bullshit, Teddy. That is Bren's dad. That's Max Keenan."

"Nope. That's Art McGregor. A law abiding, taxpaying citizen. His library card was issued eleven years ago," the federal prosecutor added. Caroline Julian was a fierce woman and the only woman, apart from his wife, that could scare Seeley Booth.

"Unless we have cause to get his DNA," Teddy said, "He's free to go."

"His prints didn't match Max Keenan's?"

"His file never showed up. Someone removed it from the system." Teddy and Caroline both looked at him.

"I didn't do it! Look, I've been trying to find Bren's parents for a long time now. She's okay with him being a criminal…I think. She knows he's a felon. I wouldn't remove his file to keep her from getting hurt."

"I believe you. But then who removed it?" Caroline asked.

"Who knows," Teddy muttered.

"Do you still have a copy of it?" Caroline wanted to know.

Booth nodded. "Well, only part of it. Marcus has more."

"I'll need your file. And have your forensic tech send me his file, too. We're going to piece this stuff together. Until then…"

"So he can leave?" Booth asked.

"He'll be home in time for dinner. Unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Do you want to question him?" Teddy asked, "Off the record, of course."

Booth thought it over. "Yeah, I gotta get some answers. And not about the case." He left the observation room and walked right into interrogation.

"Arthur McGregor, huh?"

Max smirked. "Yes, sir! That's me!" he said with a bit of a laugh.

"Come on, Max. Cut the shit. What's going on here?"

"Agent Booth, how did you meet my daughter?"

"Okay, Max, I'm sure if you found us, you know exactly how we met, when and where we got married and all those other juicy details. Plus, I'm the one asking the questions. Why did you suddenly show up, huh? Are you dying? Is something wrong with you? Or maybe Ruth?"

"Ruthie…she's dead. She's been dead for two years. But I'm here…because someone is trying to kill my family and I don't like it."

"So you show up and try to save the day because someone shot at Bren and Drew?"

"I have connections. I can find who did it quicker than you federal guys can."

Booth rolled his eyes. "So do you know who did it?"

"Not yet. But I have an idea or two."

"So are you going to tell me your suspicions?"

"No."

"Why did you leave her?"

"Ahh, that's what you really want to know, isn't it, Agent Booth? Did Tempe ask you to ask me? Does she want to know or do you?"

Booth was getting pissed, but he was holding his anger back for Bren's sake.

"I want to know how anyone could abandon someone, especially someone like her."

"You love her. That's good. You're good for her. Ruthie and I looked you up when we found out Tempe got married. Why'd you quit football? You could be making millions of dollars right now playing for some big shot pro league. Sure you can take care of her now, but you could give her everything under the sun if you were a big time quarterback like everyone thought you would be."

"Look, Max, I do the best I can for my family. And that includes never leaving, which is more than you can say."

That was enough to rattle him. "Ruth and I left to protect them!" Max pounded a fist on the table. "We did what we thought was best for our family. Taking them with us would've…ended badly. Russ and Tempe would be dead too."

"How'd your wife die?"

"She was killed."

"By who?"

"If I knew, I'd tell you."

"You're not lying to me now, are you, Max?"

"I don't know, Agent Booth, am I?"

A staring contest ensued and Booth broke the silence by chuckling a bit. "You know, since we're family, maybe you should stop calling me Agent Booth. That's a bit formal for family."

"Okay, son. Shall we go? We don't want to keep Tempe waiting. What's for dinner?"

* * *

**A/N: I know it's short, as have the last few, but the muse has taken a bit of a detour to focus on my series of one-shots. I want to work on this and I know where this is going, but it's hard getting it down on electronic paper, so to speak. So the updates will probably be shorter for a while while I focus on getting the one-shots done.**


	32. Way Down Here

The agent and the felon walked up the front steps to the house and walked in to find Bren packing a diaper bag for Drew. The toddler was running in circles around Bren, knowing that a diaper bag meant he was going on a trip. They were getting ready to leave.

"What are you doing?"

Bren looked up at them and her face flushed. "I'm going to get Russ."

"Babe, I told you not to leave. You need to stay inside and away from windows. I don't want whoever this is getting a decent shot at you!"

"Russ is in trouble, Booth. He called not long after you left and I've been waiting for him to call me back. Something's wrong, Booth."

"Okay, I'll send a couple of agents down to North Carolina to get him."

While the two were talking, neither noticed Max slip back out the front door. Only the door slamming behind him alerted them to Max's absence.

"Oh, this is not good. Okay, grab his bag and let's go. Hopefully, we can catch up to him."

Booth ran out to follow Max but only saw taillights turn at the end of the street. Brennan quickly put Drew into Booth's FBI issued SUV to limit his time out in the open. The last thing either of them wanted was for someone to take a shot at their son. Booth flipped on the lights and sirens as Brennan got in and they sped off for the Carolinas.

"What is with your family and running off?" Booth muttered.

* * *

A couple of hours later, after speeding through Virginia with the sirens on, they arrived at Russ' house. Max's car was nowhere to be seen and Russ and Amy's cars were missing.

"You stay here," Booth told her, leaving the car to idle in front of the house.

"No, I'm coming," Brennan argued.

"Absolutely not. We're not leaving Drew out here alone and we're not going to take him inside either. You stay here with him. If you hear gunshots or anything, you drive away."

"I'm not leaving you here, Booth." Her voice was firm and stern, but so was the look that covered Booth's face.

"I'm not joking around, Temperance. Drive away if something goes wrong."

The use of her first name startled her. Looking back at Drew sleep peacefully in his car seat, despite the lights and noise from the sirens, she agreed.

Booth pulled his gun from his holster, checking for the amount of available ammo. Clicking the safety off, he ran to the front door, hoping to make this as quick as possible so they could get Drew home.

He peeked in through the front door window. Seeing nothing, he pulled at the door handle. It was unlocked and he went in. Aiming his gun at anything, prepared for the worse, he checked every room, looking for something or someone.

No one was home.

He put his gun away and walked back through the house to the kitchen.

"What the…"

He hadn't seen it before, but he was also looking for movement, not a puddle of blood. He glanced out the window, looking at Bren still sitting in the front seat.

He had to call it into dispatch, request Teddy and all in front of his wife.

Slowly, Booth walked back out to the car and sat in the driver's seat.

"No one?" she asked and he shook his head.

He picked up the dispatch radio.

"Dispatch, this is 22705. I'm in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. I need to report a crime scene," he said, flinching at his last statement. Brennan took a sharp breath and waited for him to continue.

"Yeah, I need a crime scene unit and Special Agent Edward Parker. It's related to one of his open cases."

"Booth…"

"It's just blood," he tried to reassure her, "No body. No one's here."

"Amy and the girls went to visit her mom in Florida. Russ is the only one in the house for two weeks," Brennan whispered, "It's gotta be Russ' blood."


	33. Live Those Songs

"It's not Russ Brennan's blood," Marcus promised.

"You're sure?"

The tech nodded. "Doctor Brennan and her brother have the same blood type. It doesn't match."

"Whose is it then?" Booth wanted to know.

"It's not Max Keenan's either. DNA markers would've shown up. We're running the blood against the database now."

"Good. Keep me updated," he told Marcus. Booth left the lab and rode the elevator up to his desk where Bren and Drew were waiting.

"We should get him home," Booth whispered in her ear. Drew was asleep, his head resting on her shoulder.

"I'd like to go the Jeffersonian," she told him, "Security is better there and Drew can sleep the couch in my office. I will not be able to fall asleep tonight and I'd like to work on a case."

She was right. Security was an important issue at the moment and it seemed like their own home had none.

"Alright," he relented. Booth wanted her to get some sleep, but her working was better than her pacing around their bedroom.

Most of the lights were on in the Jeffersonian when they arrived, indicating someone was still working. Brennan spied Hodgins at his workstation bent over a microscope.

"Doctor Hodgins, what are you still doing here?"

The bug man sighed. "Angie got mad at me, told me I could go sleep on the couch. I came here instead.

"It's gotta be bad if she kicked you out," Booth said with a chuckle.

Jack smiled back at him. "I've got it all under control. What are you guys doing here? Shouldn't the little guy be in bed?"

"Max Kennan and Russ have gone missing."

"I thought your dad was in custody?"

"He got out," Brennan told her friend and coworker with a shrug.

They explained the rest of the story to Jack and soon, Booth and Bren took Drew into her office to lay him down for the night. She flicked off the lights and shut the door behind her.

"Are you going to stay or go back to the Hoover?"

"I'm going to head back, see if they found anything else. The rest of the techs should be back from your brother's place by now."

She nodded. "Call me when something happens?"

Booth smiled. "Of course." He kissed her and went back to work.

Brennan swiped her access card and went up to the platform, the skeleton she had been working on from Limbo earlier, still sitting in its same spot.

"Hey, Doctor B?"

"Yes, Doctor Hodgins?"

"I forgot to tell you earlier, Doctor Goodman wanted me to tell you that tomorrow," he glanced at his watch, "I guess, later today, you'll have an assisting intern."

"I don't understand." She wrinkled her nose.

"One of your grad students is going to be your assistant."


	34. Got A Little Crazy

**A/N: So there is no excuse for my long absence from this story except for life, school and the fact that this is now my only active story since I have just finished _Burdens That Allow Us To Fly_. Now that that's done, I'll be focusing on this more, but school comes first, obviously, and things are getting kind of hectic around here. I promise I will update when I can. To attempt to make up for my long span in updates, here's a new chapter that slightly longer than the last few.**

* * *

"Bren, what is Drew doing here?"

Brennan looked up to see Angela walking up the platform steps. She was talking to Bren but staring at Drew who was sitting on Hodgins' worktable holding on to a plastic model of a maggot.

"Our security system is extremely inadequate when compared to the security here. Booth and I both feel safer if Drew was here."

"What's going on? Why is your place suddenly not safe?"

Brennan explained to Angela what had been going on with Russ and Max.

"Well, do you want me to take Drew into my office so Hodgins can get some work done?" Angela suggested.

"Please," Booth said, standing at the foot of the platform steps, "I don't want my son playing with giant plastic bugs. That's too…"

"Nerdy?" Angela tried.

"Squinty," Booth finished.

"Squinty?" Brennan was confused.

"Yeah, you know…Squinty. You guys are Squints."

"I don't understand," Brennan told her husband.

"Yeah, I'm lost," Angela agreed.

"You guys…you squint when you look at things. Look! Just like that! Look at Hodgins," Booth cried, pointing at his friend. Jack was indeed staring at a microscope slide, his eyebrows furrowed and eyes barely open.

"Leave me alone. I, apparently, am the only one working around here," Jack called back, not taking his eyes off of his specimen. Drew watched, curious as to what was going on. But when he heard his father's voice, Drew pulled himself up to stand on the worktable and shouted to his dad.

"Whoa there, buddy," Booth jogged over and took Drew off the table, "Don't stand on that. You're gonna fall and get hurt." He passed Drew to Angela.

"Come on, little man, let's go watch Sesame Street."

Booth waited for Angela to disappear into her office with Drew before he spoke. His voice was hushed and it set Brennan into near panic mode.

"I still can't find your dad or Russ. I have a few agents trailing Amy and the girls, just for protection. I gotta head out though. It seems like Ted and I have switched places for the time being."

"What do you mean?"

"Teddy's been assigned to work your dad's case. Now that he's missing again, Teddy's still looking. I gotta cover Ted's post in homicide. A burned body on top of some building downtown. I gotta head to the scene but I just wanted to let you know what was going on. I'll call you if I hear something."

She nodded and he kissed her. It was a tender kiss. He was worried about her, scared things were getting to be too much for her to handle. She gave him a gentle smile back as Booth headed toward the door.

"Doctor Brennan!"

Doctor Goodman's voice boomed from behind her. Brennan spun around and came face to face with her boss and a young man she vaguely remembered seeing before.

"Doctor Brennan, this is Mister Zach Addy. Surely you've seen him in one of your classes before."

"I can't know for certain," Brennan told him, "I have many students. Very few I actually get to know on a first name basis."

"Ah, well, Mister Addy is your assistant now. I suggest you get to know him. He's going to be very helpful with the number of cases we have backed up in Modular Skeletal Storage.

Brennan looked Zach over and made an assessment.

"Mister Addy, from this, can you tell me any discernable details of the body in…" she walked to Hodgins' station and picked a certain file. She returned and held out a few photos for him to look at, "…this set of remains?"

Zach looked the photos over for several minutes before looking up at his mentor with extreme certainty. "These remains are undergoing autolysis with evidence of adiopocere. Putrefaction is evident and there are also teeth marks which indicate scavenging. Raccoons or maybe rats have gnawed on this bone. Soil samples, plant life and insects should all be collected to best determine time of death and perhaps cause of death."

Brennan nodded, seemingly impressed with what he had told her. "From the photos can you give me cause of death?"

"No, Doctor Brennan, I would need to thoroughly examine the remains before I could give a definitive answer."

"I am impressed, Mister Addy. Most students would try to impress me by outright stating their beliefs on cause of death."

Zach said nothing, only smiled at her praise.

"I will leave you in capable hands, Mister Addy," Goodman said, "Doctor Brennan is a wonderful teacher."

"Mister Addy, do you have an access card to our platform?" she asked when Goodman left. Zach proudly held out his security badge for her to see.

"Very good. I would like for you to start analyzing the remains on the exam table. I will join you in a few minutes."

Zach nodded once and left for the platform. Brennan headed straight to Angela's office, hoping to check on her son.

"Mom!" Drew ran to her as she walked in the door and collided with her legs. He latched on tight and he barely let her pick him up.

"Has he been a trouble, Ange?"

"No! We watched some Sesame Street and a few episodes of The Wiggles. I'm going to have those horrible songs stuck in my head all day."

"I do not understand his attachment at the moment. I'm going to bring him with me for a little while. I believe he is quite confused about what has been going on lately."

Angela nodded. "Hey, do you want me to run to your place? I could pick up some things for Drew during my lunch."

"If you would like. I'm sure Booth had been planning on that as well, but now it seems like he will be dealing with a case all day. It seems out of his guild."

"Huh? Oh, you mean league? Out of his league? Why, what kind of case is it?"

Brennan shrugged. "Since Teddy is working on finding my father and Russ, Booth is taking on a case Teddy would normally have. It's homicide. Booth will be fine, but I believe he is worried about proving himself."

"Probably. Are you sure you don't want me to watch him while you work with Jimmy Neutron?"

"Who?"

"Your new assistant. You know, boy scientist?"

"You mean Mister Addy. His name is Zach, Angela. It might be beneficial for you to learn his name before you really meet him."

Angela laughed. "You have a son and you don't know who Jimmy Neutron is? You gotta invest in some quality TV time with your kid."

Brennan started debating with Angela about the pros and cons of watching too much TV when she was cut off. "Bren, sweetie, I was joking. I'll run by your place and pick up some things for Drew, okay?"

"Yes, Angela that would be wonderful, thank you."

She left Angela's office with Drew on her hip as she swiped her access card to let her onto the platform. Zach looked up from his work and watched as his mentor set her son on the ground next to her. Drew stood there, hanging onto her pant leg for dear life.

"Mister Addy?" Brennan said, attempted to draw Zach's attention away from the toddler and back to the task at hand.

"Um, I apologize," he muttered, his eyes still on Drew, "I found hair line fractures on the ulna."

Before Brennan could even say anything, her husband's booming voice echoed throughout the lab. "Bren!"

"What is it, Booth?"

"Why the hell is our son next to a dead body?" he shouted.


	35. Somewhere With You

**A/N: Hello, readers. With school and life getting more hectic as the semester moves on, I'm going to try to make scheduled posting happen. Sunday and Wednesday nights (US time) are going to be my goals and hopefully, I can make this happen. This starts the Sunday updates. Enjoy :)**

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"He's fine, Booth. He can't actually see over the exam table unless I lift him," she rationalized.

"He's gonna form weird memories about Mommy and dead things," Booth muttered and she couldn't tell if he was joking or not. Deciding to ignore his statement she asked, "What do you need? I'm in the process of learning to work with an assistant and I find it quite difficult despite the need for more help around the lab."

"We need to talk."

"This does not sound good," Jack said as he walked onto the platform.

"Let's go to my office. Mister Addy, please continue with your assessment of the remains. Doctor Hodgins will be glad to answer any questions you might have."

"I will?" Jack asked, obviously unhappy to be left alone with the new kid.

Brennan and Drew followed Booth as he walked briskly to her office.

"Are you in a hurry?" she asked him.

"Could you, uh, take Drew to Angela's office?"

Brennan shook her head. "She's leaving soon," Bren explained, "She's going to our place to pick up activities for Drew to do and a few sets of clothes."

"Oh, well, I don't think Drew should be looking at crime scene pictures."

She rolled her eyes. "He's too young to remember this, Booth. His second birthday is rapidly approaching and memories don't accurately form until much later. Besides, he seems quite preoccupied at the moment."

They both looked at Drew. He was standing next to Brennan's model skeleton. The articulated bones stood taller than a mesmerized Drew, who was holding the phalanges, swinging the articulated arm back and forth. Brennan began laughing lightly at the site, but Booth looked away, pulling out crime scene photos of the scene he just left.

"Bren, you need to take a look at this."

He laid the pictures on the small coffee table in front of the sofa. The pictures displayed a roof top, black smoke clouded the air. A body, with a face unrecognizable, hung from a pole in crucifix fashion.

"Who is this?" Brennan asked, glancing over her shoulder occasionally at her son, who was still currently fascinated with the skeleton.

"Not sure yet. But we have a lead."

"Who?"

Booth wouldn't answer, only going into details about what was found at the scene. "Body was slashed. Intestines were practically ashes. There was one…anomaly, though."

Brennan looked at him, waiting for Booth to continue.

He sighed and pulled one more photo from the file. It was a picture of an old coin.

"Columbus?" she questioned.

He nodded once, but still didn't say anything.

"I don't understand. What is so important that you had to show me? This is an FBI case. I'm sure they wouldn't be too thrilled that you were sharing case information with me, no matter how sensitive a topic."

"Bren, we found a print on the coin." Booth pulled out the sheet with matching prints. "The one on the left is from the coin. It matches the one on the right."

"Who does it belong to?"

"Your father."

She sighed. She knew what it meant, but didn't want to believe it. "Has Teddy found him? Or Russ?"

He shook his head. "Teddy's lead went cold. They're looking for more options, searching the places your dad has been in the past but I doubt they're going to show up there. Max is too smart to go back to Burtonsville or Columbus."

Brennan smirked a little, trying to relieve the stress Booth was feeling. "My father has always been quite intelligent."

Drew waddled over to his parents and pulled himself up onto the couch. Booth quickly gathered the pictures to hide from Drew's innocent eyes. Angela walked in and set a big duffle bag, filled to the point to where the zipper almost couldn't shut, next to her desk.

"I grabbed a few things for you, too, Bren," Angela told her, "I saw that bullet hole in the side of your house. This is…"

"Scary?" Booth offered.

"Nerve-wracking?" Brennan tried.

"Both," Angela finished, "I can't believe someone's trying to kill you! Do you know who did it yet?"

Her question was directed at Booth, who shook his head. "We know it came from a M40A1 sniper rifle, but we've been unlucky with the trace so far. It was a homemade bullet that was supposed to…" _Kill my wife,_ he finished his sentence in his head.

"Maybe you should stay with me and Jack. We can get a little crib set up for Drew and you two can stay in one of the guest rooms," Angela suggested.

"I don't know," Brennan said, hesitantly.

"I'm thinking maybe you and Drew should go stay with Pops. Or maybe with Lizzie," Booth told her, "I don't know if I want you two staying in D.C. until we find whoever is doing this. Philly isn't that far and I can come up there real quick if I need to."

"I understand your concern but Drew and I are fine here."

"Bren, you and Drew can't sleep in your office forever. Doctor Goodman will understand. Take some time off and go to Philadelphia. Get away from all of this. Hopefully, whoever is after you won't follow," Angela said.

She knew they weren't going to let up. So she agreed, "Alright. I'll give Hank a call. It's been too long since Drew's seen him anyway."

Twenty minutes later, Booth was buckling Drew into his car seat in the back of Brennan's car. He placed a kiss on his son's forehead and said, "Be good for Mom and Pops, okay? I'll see you soon. I love you, bub."

The toddler understood a goodbye when he heard one and Drew wasn't ready to part from his dad just yet. His small cries and whimpers filled the car as Booth shut the car door.

"Be careful, okay? Call me as soon as you get to Pops'."

Brennan nodded. "I will." Drew's cries got louder and Brennan tried to get into the car. Booth stopped her.

"I love you."

"I love you too," she mumbled into his chest as he hugged her. She didn't want to let go and their hug lingered for a while. He kissed her, strong and hard.

Booth pulled away reluctantly. "I'll try to come up to Philly tonight."

She nodded and got in the car. Booth watched them back out of her parking space. He stopped them one last time, rapping one knuckle on the driver's side window. Brennan rolled down the window and waited for him to say something. "I love you," he said again.

Bren smiled softly at him. "I love you too. Be careful."

"You be careful," he told her. He watched her wave goodbye and say something to Drew who stared at him out the window and cried. His tiny hand waved goodbye and he stared after them as they drove off.

"Alright, Seeley, back to work," he told himself when he couldn't see her car anymore.

Booth didn't want to work though. He wanted to get in his car and follow them up to Philly. He wanted to spend time with his family and let the other agents find who was trying to hurt them. I wanted to spend as much time with them as possible. But he knew he had to protect them. That was the only thing he could do for them. Sitting around his grandfather's house wouldn't solve anything and it certainly wouldn't find her father, brother or whoever was trying to hurt them. He slid into the driver's seat of his car and drove back to the Hoover building. He was visibly grumpy to the other agents and all avoided him if all possible. Sitting as his desk flipping through the files again, he stared at any and all connections that he could see. He knew something was missing. Booth had an idea, though. If someone in the D.C. office worked the bank heists, he would need to talk to them. Talking to the agents in the field offices in Illinois and Ohio had gotten him only so far. Higher ups would know more. He began tracking down the list of agents who had worked the Columbus and Fremont cases and found one agent who still worked at the bureau. He spoke with her, saying she didn't remember or know much, but she could give him a list of other agents back then that worked the case. She sent the list to him and one name stood out. Deputy Director Robert Kirby.

"BOOTH!" He heard his name from the one person who might have it out for Max Keenan.

"Yes, sir?"

"Get your ass to my office. Now!" Director Kirby shouted. Other agents in the bullpen followed him with their eyes as he straightened his tie and walked with as much confidence he could muster to face the only suspect he had in his wife's attempted shooting. Only problem was that Booth was on the wrong side of the interrogation table.


	36. Where I Grew Up

**A/N: Don't get used to this. I won't be updating this often. I know I just made an update schedule but this one pretty much wrote itself. This might not fit completely in with the events that happened in the series, but I don't want everything to be **_**exactly**_** the same. It's going to stick with what we already know from ****Judas on a Pole**** but remember, this is an AU story so things aren't going to match up. Just thought I'd add that little reminder :)**

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* * *

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"Agent Booth's desk, Agent Parker speaking."

"_Teddy? It's Bren. Where's Booth?"_

"He's still in the Deputy Director's office. How's it going? Anyone take a shot at you lately?" Teddy joked.

"_Very funny, Ted. Why is he with the Deputy Director?"_

"Not sure. The Director seemed pissed though. You want me to have him call you?"

"_Please. Or you could just tell him that Drew and I made it to Philadelphia. We're staying with his grandfather."_

"Alright. I'll let him know. Stay safe, Bren."

"_You sound like Booth."_

As Teddy laughed and hung up the phone, he saw his best friend walk out of the Deputy Director's office. Booth was pulling at his tie and yelling at anyone who looked at him wrong.

"What's going on, Sarge?"

Booth punched his desk without saying a word. "Was that Bren on the phone?"

"Yeah, she and Drew are in Philly with your granddad. Did you know they were going there?"

He nodded. "I'm headed up there now. I gotta stop at my place and pick a few things up. I gotta go get my gun out of the safe."

"Kirby took your gun?" Teddy couldn't believe it.

"And my badge."

"They fired you?"

"I'm 'suspended without pay.' Said I knew better than to work on cases that involved family or something like that. But…"

"You've been fired."

Booth nodded again. "Shit. They took my wheels too. Call me a cab? Have it pick me up at my house in a half hour."

Teddy shook his head. "Nah, man, take my car. I've got the SUV and Claire's out of town visiting family. She won't need our car. Take it." Teddy tossed him the keys.

"I owe you."

"Hell yeah, you do."

With a couple of smiles, Booth was on his way back to the house before driving the almost three hours to Philly. He was relieved to be out of the restricting suit, but knew it was a bad sign that he was. He had made sure to keep an eye out to anyone who could be potentially following him and when Booth was satisfied that no one was, he pulled up to Pops' house and parked behind Bren's car.

"Shrimp? What are you doing here?" Pops whispered when Booth walked into the house.

"I'll tell you later. Where's Bren?"

"She and the baby are asleep. She looks exhausted. Are the folks that that kooky lab of hers overworking her? Bren wouldn't tell me what was going on."

"I'll tell you in a bit, Pops. I'm gonna go check on them."

He walked into his old room. The old hockey posters still adorned the walls with remnants of a younger Bren still around. Pictures of them from football games and the nights they spent in Philly covered his old nightstand.

"Dad!" Drew wasn't asleep, despite what Pops had said.

"Hey, bud," Booth whispered, "You gotta be quiet. Mom's sleepin'. You okay?"

Drew nodded. Booth led him toward the door. "You go hang out with Pops for a second. I'm gonna tuck Mommy in and I'll come play with you, okay?" Wordlessly, Drew bounced out to the living room. He walked to the bed and sat on the edge. Seeing her alone in his bed from his teenage years brought back all kinds of memories. He watched her for a bit and she stirred.

Brennan opened her eyes a bit. "Booth? What are you doing here?"

"I missed you."

"I thought you were working?"

"I…got some time off."

She sat up. "No. I mean, you wouldn't just take off from work like that. What happened?"

He explained to her what had happened. "I'm going to call Ted soon and see what's going on, see if he has any leads. You go back to sleep. I'm going to go hang out with Pops and Drew."

"I'm sorry, Booth. You're losing your job because of me and my…family."

He smiled at her. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, babe. Go back to sleep."

"I love you."

He left her to her nap and he went out to the living room where Pops was turning on a kid's show for Drew.

"She okay?" Hank wanted to know. Booth nodded.

"With the shooting and her dad and her brother…I think it's all just getting to her. She's exhausted."

"Shooting?"

Booth had forgotten that he hadn't told his grandfather about the attempt on his wife's life. After explaining everything to Hank, Booth settled on the couch and watched his son bounce to the music from the TV.

"So whose blood was it in her brother's house?"

Booth shrugged. "I gotta call Teddy later. He promised to update me. I gotta start looking for another job," he sighed.

"Don't say that. They're going to clear you of any wrongdoing and you can go back to that job you love so much."

When Hank started making dinner and Booth had a moment to himself, he called back to D.C. to see if Teddy had made any progress.

"_That case you were working with the guy on the roof top has pretty much gone cold. His name came back Garrett Delaney, former agent. Now he works for some big time lobbyist."_

"Nothing? That's it?"

"_Get this: he's the one who took a shot at Bren."_

"So who killed him?"

"_Someone who either has it out for you or for Max Keenan."_

"I work cold cases, Ted. Most of the people I investigate are either dead already or extremely elderly," he barked into the phone.

"_Look, Sarge, I'm sorry. I'm working every angle I can to find something that will connect Delaney to you and Bren."_

Booth sighed. "I know, Parks. I'm sorry. Thanks, man. Call me back if you get anything."

He ended the call and went into the kitchen. Brennan, complete with bed rumpled hair, sat at the kitchen table with Hank and Drew while the casserole cooked. Drew was fascinated with something out the window. It was dark, and the backyard was poorly lit. A street lamp lit the alleyway behind Hank's garage down the street and shadows were cast eerily on the old pool in the back. Hank and Brennan were engaged in conversation and Booth took a seat next to Drew.

"What's going on out there, bub?"

The toddler didn't look away from what he was watching in the backyard. Brennan, who had heard the question, looked at drew and followed her son's gaze out into the backyard. A shot rang out and the window shattered. Hank dropped to the floor, Brennan flinched away and Booth shielded Drew from the bullet and broken glass. When she recovered from the shock, Brennan sat up and looked outside. No one was there. She checked on Hank, who was in the process of pulling a small shard of glass from his arm. She looked at Booth, who was pulling a sobbing Drew from his high chair.

"You're bleeding, Booth."

"So are you, Bren."

She hadn't noticed the cuts on her face until he mentioned them, but she was unconcerned.

"She's not joking, Seeley. You were shot."


	37. Young

**A/N: The book Brennan reads to Drew in this chapter is **_**Love You Forever**_** by Robert Munsch. I loved this book as child and my mom still has my old tattered copy. That's all I own :)**

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He looked at the wound on his arm. Booth didn't feel the pain, he was only worried about who had taken the shot. He passed Drew off to Bren and ran down the back steps and out the back door. Looking around the old above ground pool, he saw no one. Booth ran around the garage and watched for any movement in the alley. Nothing happened. Whoever it was had taken off already. Dejectedly, he walked back into the house, pissed that he had let whoever it was get away. Drew was whimpering now. His sobs had subsided and his injuries were minor, a few scratches that could've looked like he had done it to himself in his sleep. Hank and Brennan were a little worse for the wear. Their scratches were a little deeper than Drew's and Brennan was in the process of pulling the last shard from her shoulder.

The oven beeped, a sound reminder of how their night should've gone. Hank took the casserole out anyway, despite the fact that none of them were concerned anymore with how long dinner would take. He didn't want the burnt smell to add to the mess that had already been made. He made a move for the broom to begin sweeping up the glass.

"Hold it!" Booth stopped him, "Crime scene guys are gonna have to take pictures of how the scene is."

The forensic techs from the local PD showed up and after some convincing of a very stubborn detective, the incident was reported to the FBI. Hank and Brennan were insistent that Booth go to the hospital to get his arm looked at. Though Booth was agitated that Bren was planning on staying behind with Drew while he and Hank took a trip to the hospital, he felt better as soon as Teddy showed up.

"Don't leave her alone. And don't let either of them go near windows," Booth instructed his friend.

"I know, Sarge. I'll keep 'em safe. And you'll be back soon. It's hardly a flesh wound. They'll give you some antibiotics, patch you up and send you back. We'll see you in a few," Teddy promised.

Booth nodded and walked away from Ted. Sneaking back to his room, he peeked in on his wife and son. Her face and arms were covered with dried, cracking blood, but it didn't stop her from holding Drew close. Sitting in the old chair in the corner, Bren had Drew resting on her unhurt shoulder. His eyes were closed and his breathing was steady. Drew was asleep, but she continued to read the small book she held in her hands. It had been a gift from Lizzie. She promised it was a book that both Bren and Drew would love; her girls, Booth's younger sisters, loved it just as much as she did. He listened to her read quietly. He wanted to tell her he was leaving for the hospital but Booth couldn't interrupt her.

"_I'll love you forever,  
I'll like you for always,  
As long as I'm living,  
My baby you'll be."_

She finished the book and gently put Drew in the portable crib. Bren waited for a minute, making sure he was really asleep, before walking to the door.

"Hey," he whispered when she reached the door.

"Hi. Are you headed for the hospital?"

"Yeah," Booth said with a nod, "How is he?"

"Scared, but I think he'll be okay."

"How are you?"

"I'm fine, Booth. I would like to take a shower though. Don't fight the doctors. The faster you them exam you, the sooner you can come back," she told him logically.

"Yeah, I know. I'll be back soon, okay?"

She nodded and kissed him. Booth left with Pops and the moment she shut the bedroom door to shield any noise the forensic techs would make in the kitchen. Brennan shut the door to the bathroom to shower, and just as she reached for the nozzle, he heard Drew cry. Heading back to the bedroom, she almost ran into Teddy in the process.

"I'll get him," he told her, "You can go take your shower."

Brennan shook her head. "He's scared. I don't want him to think I've left."

Teddy shrugged and went back to oversee the techs in the kitchen. Brennan opened the door slowly and peeked into the room. Drew was standing his crib, his eyes rimmed red from cying.

"Mommy," he whimpered when he noticed she was looking in. His little voice broke her heart and she quickly crossed the room in three steps to pull him from the crib. He latched on tight and refused to let go of his mother.

"I'm right here," she whispered to him over and over. It was all she could do to soothe him. Knowing he wasn't about to go to sleep, she climbed into Booth's old bed and laid next to Drew, pulling him close. His sobs had calmed and he was only sniffling now. Pulling the covers to Drew's waist, Brennan then reached to the nightstand where she had left his book. Her voice was soothing to Drew, and knowing his mom was right there helped him fall asleep to her voice.

"_I'll love you forever,  
I'll like you for always,  
As long as I'm living,  
My baby you'll be."_


	38. Just A Kid

Just as Booth and Hank came back from the hospital, the techs were just beginning to pull the bullet that had lodged itself in Pops' refrigerator door.

"Got anything new, Ted?"

Parker looked hopelessly toward them. "Not much. No one saw anything. All they know is they heard a gunshot. Your neighbors are not very observant, Mr. Booth," he addressed Hank.

"It's not the best part of town," he explained to Parker, "Everyone tends to keep to themselves."

Teddy nodded in acceptance of his answer and continued to explain. "We did find gunshot residue on the pool ladder outside. My guess is that bullet is from a sniper rifle and whoever took the shot rested the gun on the top rung of the ladder to steady it."

"Well then if they took the shot from the top of the ladder, this person has to be either pretty short where they could get the shot off without stooping over to look through the scope or…" Booth trailed off.

"Whoever did it was pretty tall and had to awkwardly take the shot. Stooping over to look through the scope could be the reason he missed," Teddy reasoned, "Plus, when a bullet aiming for someone or something specific has to go through glass or something else to get to its target, it almost never hits what the shooter was originally aiming for."

"Was it aiming at me or Bren?"

Teddy looked anxious, like he didn't want to answer, but this was his best friend. And despite the fact that he was supposed to be suspended from the bureau, Teddy planned on sharing every detail he could with Booth.

"Bren," Teddy said quickly. "The glass broke right in line with where she was sitting. But, luckily, the glass deflected the bullet and it grazed your arm instead."

Trying to ignore the anger building up in his body, Booth said, "Whoever did this had to have some sort of training. The fact that the bullet hardly went off course proves that. Bren and I were sitting very close. The bullet didn't go that far off its path."

"We're going to figure this out, Booth. Who else knew you were here?"

"Besides you and Pops, no one. Not even Lizzie knows," he told his friend.

"Well maybe you should tell her now. I don't think any of you guys should stay here tonight."

"It's my house. I'm not leaving," Hank said firmly.

"Mr. Booth, you may not be getting much sleep. The forensic techs still have a lot of work to do. I'm surprised Bren and Drew are asleep with all this racket going on."

"Booth?"

Brennan's timid voice from behind them startled them all. The moment he saw her, he was instantly by her side.

"Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you that. You're the one who got shot."

Booth smiled slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Got a stitch or two and some antibiotics and a couple of extra band aids. How's Drew?"

"Asleep finally," she answered, her voice a testament as to how exhausted she really was, "He's scared, Booth. Maybe we should go to Lizzie's."

"Why? With all of the techs here, no one's going to come back."

"Sasha and Sadie could entertain Drew better than I can right now. He needs to get his mind off whatever is scaring him. He doesn't know what's going on, but he's scared. He shouldn't be scared."

He could hear the sobs she was ready to release and he pulled her in tight.

"Let's let him sleep tonight. We can head to Lizzie's in the morning."

She nodded, her head still against his chest.

"Let's get some sleep, too. Come on."

"He's in our bed," she warned.

Booth smiled at her. "I have a feeling it won't be the last time."

* * *

The next morning, after eating a quick breakfast while dancing around the crime scene guys who still lingered, Booth, Bren and Drew packed to head to the DuPont house.

"Pops, I really think you should come with us. Even if it is just for the day," Booth said.

"Shrimp, I'm not going to let someone scare me out of my house. I've been here for over thirty years."

"Hank…" Brennan tried, but was interrupted.

"Darlin', I know you're just tryin' to look out for me, but once you guys have been in your house for thirty-some odd years, you'll understand. Go see your mom and sisters, Shrimp. I'll be here."

Booth knew there was no arguing with him. After several long goodbyes from Drew, who refused to leave at first, they headed across town. Booth still felt out of place in the swanky neighborhood. Though he lived in an expensive neighborhood now, thanks to his wife, he still felt out of place. Maybe it was the fact that he was still not used to the notion of having sisters. Booth was only in his mid twenties but his sisters were more than a decade younger than him. Having sisters that young made him feel…old. He chuckled at the thought.

They pulled up to the house and Sadie, who was playing with sidewalk chalk on the driveway, squealed in Angela-fashion and ran to the car. She went to the driver's door first to greet her brother.

"Seeley! I can't believe you're here!" she yelled as he stepped out of the car. Sadie waited patiently to hug him until he was fully out of the car to avoid knocking him over. But the moment he was on his feet, she lunged at Booth.

"Hey, Sadie," he said, returning the hug, "how's it going?"

"Good. Hi, Bren! Hi, Drew! Are you guys staying for a while?"

"We don't know, Sadie. Where's your mother?" Brennan asked her while she pulled Drew out of his car seat.

"She's in side with Sasha. Come on!" She pulled Booth toward the house and Drew and Bren followed.

"Mom!" she called the moment they stepped in the door, "Mom! Seeley and Bren and Drew are here!"

Sasha came running down the steps and, like her sister, flung herself at Booth.

"Hey, Sasha, where's Mom?"

He only called Lizzie Mom around Sadie and Sasha, who didn't yet understand the strained but healing relationship Lizzie and Booth had.

"I'm right here!" She called from the kitchen. After a few seconds of shuffling around the kitchen, Lizzie came to greet them.

"What in God's name happened to you?" she shouted when she looked them over. When Booth explained what had gone on in words that were suitable for Sadie and Sasha's ears, Lizzie shuffled them into the living room.

After a while of chatting and catching up, Drew finally felt comfortable to release the hold he had on his mom to go play with Sadie and Sasha in their playroom. Brennan excused herself as well, giving Booth and Lizzie a few moments alone while Bren used the restroom and checked on Drew.

"I hate to ask this, but would it be alright if we stayed here for the night. I've already got surveillance going and a few agents are going to head up here this afternoon for a solid round-the-clock night post while we're all asleep. Bren and I need to head back to D.C. in the morning so we'll be out of your hair no later than noon."

Lizzie smiled softly. "Seeley, of course you can stay. The girls have been begging me to take them down for a visit and I know they love having Drew around. You're more than welcome to stay as long as you like, though I'm not sure Brian will be too fond of having surveillance and other agents watching us all the time," Lizzie said, referring to her husband.

"Well, I'm not too thrilled about it either. But someone's after Drew and Bren so I'm not about to take any chances."

"I don't blame you, Seeley."

"Sorry about all of this. I hate to kind of dump all of it on you but-"

"But nothing," Lizzie cut him off, "You, Bren and Drew are family. Plus I don't get to see my grandson enough."

Booth smiled. "Thanks, Mom."

* * *

**A/N: So there's some Booth/Lizzie progress going on. Oh, and I know I said I'd update on Sundays and where I am its still Sunday so… :)**


	39. No Small Miracle

**A/N: Okay, so that posted story yesterday was a result of my own personal angst. Chalk it up to boy problems and girl drama that college girls shouldn't have to deal with by now. It's out of my system now and hopefully it won't run over into this fic. It's already pretty angsty and I'm working on lightening it up. **

**Just a little preview of what's coming up for our favorite family: A honeymoon (finally), some more Zach action (because I miss him), big news for Ange and Jack (because I just can't help it), and fluff for B&B (Because I have enough angst in my life).**

**Also, if anyone is looking for a beta, I just updated my profile or more accurately, just added a beta profile :)**

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Their night in the DuPont house happened incident free. Brennan had to pull a crying Drew away from his aunts in order to put him in the car. Since they had arrived in Philadelphia separately, they had to drive back home separately as well. The drive went quicker than both expected and they arrived home by mid afternoon. Their house looked different, but neither could place what was wrong.

Booth called Teddy for some information on the case and Angela came over. She was in major need of girl time and she knew Bren could use a friend right now.

"Hey, Sweetie. How was Philly?" Angela greeted and took a seat at the kitchen table with Bren and Drew, who were both coloring in a sports themed coloring book. Drew's crayons were giant, almost too big for his pudgy hands to grasp.

Brennan shrugged. "We were shot at again. But we saw Lizzie and the girls. I need to take Drew up there more often. He loves playing with Sasha and Sadie."

"Whoa, back up, you were shot?"

"Shot _at_," Brennan corrected, "Well, the bullet did graze Booth's arm but everyone's fine."

"Did Booth ever find out why things are so intense lately? What's going on with his job?"

Just then, Booth came waltzing into the kitchen. "So, the guy that shot at you the first time was a hit man."

"A hit man?" Brennan repeated.

"Yeah, he's the one from that case I started working just before Kirby suspended me. Bullets found at the guy's house matched the one from your first shooting. Someone killed the guy who tried to kill you."

"I don't understand…" Brennan trailed off.

"Who's going to hurt someone who would try to hurt you, Sweetie," Angela stepped in, trying to help her friend understand the connection.

"Only you," Brennan answered, looking at Booth.

"I'm not the only one. What about your father?"

"Wait a minute. You told me this already. Right before we went to Hank's house. There was a Christopher Columbus coin in the man's throat and it had my father's finger print," she reminded him, "Did something else happen?"

"There's another body. On the same roof top as the other murder. Burned, just like the hit man, and you wanna know what Teddy found?" Booth sounded excited and he almost felt horrible for it.

"What did Teddy find?" Both Angela and Bren asked.

"A Columbus coin."

"My father killed another man?"

"Looks like it. Bren…there's an arrest warrant out for him. If he shows up here…"

"You can't arrest him, Booth."

The comment came from Angela.

"And why the hell not?"

"You don't work for the FBI right now."

"Angela's right," Brennan said, "you can't."

He sighed. This was not the argument he wanted to have with his wife. "Well, okay, but I'm not going to let him stay with us. I'm not going to jail for aiding and abetting a fugitive."

Neither Brennan nor Angela could come up with a good reply.

Finally: "He's been on the run from the authorities for years now, Booth. He'll do it again." The words came from Brennan.

"You think so?"

"Yes, his primary concern has always been himself. Why do you think he left Russ and I?"

The words were a hit below the belt, and Brennan knew it. She was having a hard time compartmentalizing her feelings at the moment. She was grateful that her father had saved her life. But she only wanted him to stay, wanted him to be part of this new life she was building with Booth and Drew.

"What about Russ?" Angela broke the silence.

"Found him in Florida with Amy, Hayley and Emma. There was a last minute change of plans and he went with them to Florida to see Amy's mom," Booth relayed the information.

"Do you know who the second body is?" Brennan asked.

"I'm waiting for Teddy to give me a call back."

There was a knock on the door and Boot motioned for both women to stay back. He looked out the peephole and then opened the door wide. Teddy Parker was standing on the other side.

"Agent Booth," his friend greeted with a smile. He held out Booth's gun and badge.

"What's this? Is this a joke?"

"No. Director Kirby's gone missing and Interim Director Hacker has decided to reinstate you. Congratulations. And my sympathies."

"Sympathies? About what?"

"You should be consoling me too, Sarge. Hacker's our new boss," Teddy said, chuckling.


	40. Freedom

**A/N: Sorry for not updating yesterday like promised. My computer screen doesn't work anymore so I'm on my friend's right now. Hopefully, I'll have my own computer back soon and I can update like crazy :)**

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A phone rang. "Hold on a sec. I'm waiting for an ID on the second body," Teddy told him, taking his phone and walking into the next room for privacy.

"Who's Hacker?" Brennan asked.

Booth rolled his eyes. "Just some wannabe agent dweeb who is all about politics instead of looking for the truth."

Teddy walked back in the room.

"Did you find out who the body was?" Booth asked his friend.

He nodded slowly. "Kirby."

"What?"

"The second body on the roof belongs to Kirby," Teddy said, "And there's more."

"What else?"

"You're not going to like it, Sarge."

"I don't give a damn, Parker."

Teddy sighed, gave a cautionary glance to Bren and Angela and launched into the rest of the details. "A few agents searched his house and found a sniper rifle that had been recently fired. There was gun powder all over it. Kirby's prints were all over it and there was plenty of ammo around. Initial tests show that the striations from the bullets meant for Bren up in Philly match the test shot used by the forensic techs back in the lab. Kirby shot at Bren."

"Damn it!" Booth punched the wall.

"Seeley!" Brennan yelled in an attempt to calm him down. The noise that came from Booth's fist against the wall scared the already jumpy toddler. Drew hid behind his mother's legs and sobbed against them. Brennan scooped him up and held him against her. "Don't," she said more forcefully. She began to pace, holding Drew and whispering calming words to him. He eventually stopped crying and resorted to quiet whimpers and a few sniffles.

"I'm sorry, buddy," Booth mumbled to him and placed a kiss on his head as he settled down.

Brennan and Angela took Drew back into the kitchen to find something to occupy him with while Booth and Teddy talked about case details. Booth shared with Teddy what he had found just before his suspension.

"Kirby wanted Max dead."

"Why?" Teddy wanted to know.

Booth shrugged. "Bad blood? Kirby used to work those cases. He was an expert on Bren's parents. I don't exactly what happened back then. The files are few and far between. Kirby probably removed as many of them as he could without looking suspicious so he could go after Max Keenan."

"So going after Bren and Drew was supposed to do what?"

"Get Max Keenan out of hiding. I…I have a theory. I haven't run it by Bren yet but I don't know if she'd even listen."

Booth's voice had dropped to a whisper and Teddy had to lean in to hear him. "What is it?"

"Bren told me back in college that her parents went missing when she was a teenager. What if…they were forced into hiding by Kirby? Maybe it wasn't even Kirby but something forced them to leave Bren and Russ behind. But Kirby never had the chance to catch them and it's been haunting him ever since. Catching her parents could've shot him to even higher positions than just Deputy Director. And it still took him forever to get there. He blames Max for his failures and wants him to pay. Kirby couldn't find Max himself so he resorted to hurting someone he loves."

"Bren," Teddy added.

"Exactly."

"How did he find out who Bren is and where she lived? I mean, I know he was the Deputy Director but he wasn't that great of an agent if he couldn't catch a simple bank robber."

"He has to review every case that we see. I was searching for Bren's parents for a long time before these shootings even started. He reviewed my cases and saw that I was looking for my in-laws. Delaney, the hit man…Kirby let him do all of the dirty work. Probably just gave him our address and told him who to take out."

"Taking out a kid…damn, that just dirty."

"Well, it's not going to happen. Drew's going to be fine."

"I know, man," Teddy said.

Booth ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Max got to Delaney first and then Kirby was out of luck. He probably figured he didn't want to waste anymore time so he'd just…take care of things himself."

"Hacker told me to let you in on the case if you want."

"Why?"

"I think the sucker feels bad for you," Teddy chuckled.

Booth smiled. "Okay, Park, let's go."

"Are you sure you want in on this? We pretty much know who killed Kirby. And since the rules say we have to arrest everyone, even if the world is better off without the victim. Do you want to do this?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?"

"You might have to arrest Keenan."

The thought of arresting his father-in-law wasn't a pleasant one. Shaking the feeling off, he punched Teddy in the shoulder and laughed. "Nah, I'm gonna let you do that. I'm not going in the dog house for doing your dirty work."


	41. Between Midnight and Daylight

**A/N: Here's a longer one for you :) I hope you guys enjoy it. Now, I'm not sure if Booth ever had chickenpox, but just go with the flow :)**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

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Booth and Teddy left for the Bureau, leaving Bren and Angela with Drew. The toddler fell asleep in his mother's arms after the fright his father accidently gave him and she put him down for a nap. The two sat in the kitchen, talking quietly so Bren could listen for sounds of Drew waking.

"So I have to tell you something. Something Jack doesn't even know yet," Angela whispered. Brennan leaned in and waited for Angela to relay the news in a conspiratorial fashion.

"I'm pregnant," she shouted. Brennan jumped back, Angela's shouts rang in her ears. And after one very quick reminder that Drew was asleep, Brennan gave Angela a very big hug and the two began making all sorts of plans.

"Since you painted Drew's nursery for me, I'd say it's only fair that I do the same for you," she told Angela.

"You have to get pregnant again! Drew needs a little brother or sister and then our kids can be best friends."

"I'd be extremely surprised if our kids weren't best friends anyway, no matter the age difference."

"But seriously, I'd say another little Booth is in order."

Brennan smiled a bit. "We've been trying," she confessed, "I had never imagined having children this young, but it seems quite optimal. Not only that, but I would like Drew to have a sibling close in age. The idea of having a second child when Drew is quite a few years older seems…odd."

"Well, try harder!" Angela encouraged with a laugh, "You know making a baby with Agent Studly is fun."

"It is very fun." She blushed.

"Well, everything's changing, huh? We're both married. You have a son. I'm pregnant. You're trying for baby number two. When did we grow up?" Angela said nostalgically.

"Sometime between when we were roommates at Northwestern and when you got married," Brennan said.

"You don't think you grew up when Drew was born? Or when you and Booth got married?"

Brennan shrugged. "It almost didn't feel real. I mean, I knew he was mine. Both Drew and Booth," she added, "But this is in no way how I pictured my life being. It is quite surreal. I honestly thought I'd be alone forever. And now I have a family."

She was getting slightly teary-eyed. Angela reached over to the counter and grabbed a tissue box.

"Quit gettin' all emotional. These pregnancy hormones are killing me!" Angela told her, grabbing a tissue.

"When are you going to tell Jack?"

"Christmas is almost here. I was thinking of telling him then, but I'm not really sure how. I'm going to have to figure out a way to avoid his eggnog and find a way to get out of drinking on New Year's if I don't tell him by then."

"Christmas is perfect."

There was a knock on the door.

"You think so?" Angela asked.

"Jack's going to have the best Christmas ever," Brennan promised. She pulled open the door.

"Hey, baby."

"Dad?"

Max Keenan walked through the front door and slipped off his coat. He pulled her into a hug, which she was too shocked to return and then looked her over.

"Are you eating enough, honey? You look awfully thin."

"My body mass is in the healthy range. What are you doing here?"

Whimpers came from up the stairs. Bad timing, bud, she thought, go back to sleep.

"I wanted to come visit. I haven't seen you or the baby up close for a while and when I saw your husband leave, I figured I'd stop for a bit."

"Why so you wouldn't be arrested?" That was harsh. More cries. Drew was probably hungry.

"I'll go get him," Angela whispered in my ear.

"Stay up there," Brennan whispered back. She nodded and Brennan walked into the kitchen.

When she grabbed the phone, Max asked, "Don't you want to talk to me? Am I really that bad?"

"You're a murderer," Brennan accused.

"If I hadn't taken care of Delaney and Kirby, they'd have killed you and Andrew."

"So now you want to take care of your family?"

"Uh, sweetie?" Angela called from the top of the stairs. Brennan ignored her.

"Tempe…"

Brennan dialed a number. "Booth? My father's here…Yes, he's in the house…No, Drew's upstairs…okay, I love you too." She hung up the phone and watched her father look at family pictures around the living room. He picked up a picture from Germany. Booth, lying in a hospital bed, holding newborn Drew.

"What happened? Is he one of those men born with lady parts?" Max joked.

Brennan rolled her eyes. "Booth was injured in combat. He missed Drew's birth. I took Drew to Germany where Booth was recovering."

Max took the hint at her serious tone. She was not in the mood for a joke. He placed the picture back and walked over to her. They heard the sirens from Booth's SUV and Max pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"I'm glad you're happy, sweetheart," he whispered in her ear. Booth came in the front door with his gun pointed toward his father-in-law.

"Max Keenan, put your hands in the air," he commanded. Seeing the look on his wife's face, he kept his voice relatively low. He knew Drew was up in his room, which usually meant nap time.

Max held his hand up in surrender, but Booth made no move to cuff him.

"Booth?" Brennan looked between the two and motioned for him to put the handcuffs on her father. Booth shook his head. Using non-verbal communication that only they could understand, she asked him why.

"I'm not handcuffing him, Bren. I can't."

"Why not?" she said through gritted teeth.

"Brennan?" Angela called down the stairs again.

"I'm not going to arrest your father. We can wait for Ted," Booth answered.

"Bren!" Angela's voice came more urgently this time.

Sensing her friend's anxiety, Brennan looked between the two once more and bounded up the stairs, skipping every other one.

"What is it?" she asked as she walked into Drew's room.

"He's really sick, Bren," Angela pointed to her shirt and the crib. Drew sat on the floor, the result of his nausea all over.

"Oh, Drew…" she muttered, finding new clothes to change him into.

"Uh, sweetie?"

"Huh? Oh! You can go find something of mine to wear. My shirts are hanging in my closet."

Angela left and Brennan took Drew to the bathroom to wipe him down. As she took off his pants, she noticed a few spots, and found more when she removed his shirt. Brennan could hear sirens coming in the distance, meaning Booth was still holding her father at gun point to wait for Teddy. She could hear them talking to each other downstairs but couldn't distinguish who was saying what.

Once Drew was cleaned up, Brennan dressed him in pajamas and brought him downstairs.

"False alarm," Max said, chuckling, "You thought those sirens were for you. That ambulance isn't going to help you. You could either let me go or you could cuff me."

"Dad!"

"Sweetie, he's going to have to. Now, I'm okay with letting him take me in, just don't get mad at him for doing his job."

Brennan looked at Booth. "Well what are you waiting for?"

"Bren, I'm not arresting your father. Call Teddy. Ask him where he's at and what his ETA is."

Reluctantly, she picked up the phone and dialed the number.

_"Parker,"_ he answered.

"Teddy, it's Bren. Booth wants to know when you're going to get here to arrest my father."

_"No can do. He's going to have to take care of it. I know he doesn't want to, but I'm kind of in the middle of a high speed chase."_

Brennan relayed the information to Booth. "Who is he chasing?" he wanted to know and Brennan asked.

_"Got my suspect in the murder of that kid found in the dumpster. Booth knows what I'm talking about. I'm sorry he's got to arrest your father."_

"It's fine, Teddy. Be careful. I'll talk to you soon."

She disconnected and told Booth what was going on.

"It's a case Teddy's been working on for months. Are you sure you're okay with this?"

Brennan nodded. "Just hurry up so you can help me with Drew."

"Okay. Uh, Max, turn around and put your hands behind your back," Booth instructed. Max did what he was told, but when Booth holstered his weapon and began to slip the cuffs around Max's wrists, Max slipped a hand out of Booth's grasp and threw a punch. They fought and the struggle moved into the kitchen. Brennan wanted to get Drew out of the way but she didn't want to risk shaking him up and making him sick again. The fight ended as soon as it began, resulting with Booth cuffed to the refrigerator door handle.

"I let you get the drop on me," Booth muttered, touching the wound on his cheek from Max's upper cut.

Max ignored that and went to his daughter.

"Next time we have the chance, I really want to talk to you."

He kissed her cheek and the top of Drew's head before slipping out the front door.

Brennan watched him leave and then checked on her husband.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. The keys for my cuffs are out in the car. Can you go get them?"

"Hold him," she commanded, passing Drew to Booth.

She found the keys in the glove box after a few minutes of searching and ran back inside.

Drew sneezed.

"Is he okay?" Booth wanted to know.

"I think he has chickenpox," Brennan said, removing the handcuffs from Booth's wrist.

"And he just sneezed on me?"

"You'll be alright."

"No. Bren, I never had chickenpox."

Knowing this disease was worse in adults, especially men, she took Drew away from him instantly.

"Do you think you'll catch it?" she wanted to know.

"I really hope not. I have to go into the office though and file some paperwork saying your dad got away." He moved to the door, preparing to leave. "Wait, didn't Drew get his shots? He'll be fine, right?"

Brennan shook her head. "We missed his appointment. We were at Pops' house the day of his check up. That was the day he was supposed to get his shots."

"Well where the hell did he get chickenpox? He hasn't been around other kids."

They both thought things over, tracing their steps in their minds on where Drew could've contracted the annoying disease.

"Sadie and Sasha," they said to each other. Booth went to the phone and called a Philly area code.

"Lizzie? Hey, I have a question. Do either of the girls have chickenpox?" he waited for her response, "Sasha does? How bad is it? We think Drew has it too…I know I never had it, but I can't just not take care of my son…I'll try, but that's all I can do…alright, thanks, Mom. Bye."

"So?" Brennan wanted a report.

"It's bad. Sasha's got spots all over. She's nauseous, she's running a fever, she can't keep any food down."

"So, Drew's going to get really sick?"

"Looks like it. Want me to take him?"

Brennan shook her head. "I don't want to be taking care of both of you," she teased, "You can go do something else for me though."

"Can I just say…Ew," Angela said walking down the stairs.

Booth laughed. "What do you want me to do?" he asked Bren.

"Go change the sheets in Drew's crib. There is vomit all over them."

He cringed. I don't know what's worse, chickenpox or baby puke."


	42. Wild Ride

A week had passed and Booth was constantly paranoid that he was going to catch Drew's chickenpox. The rare zit that marred Booth's otherwise flawless skin sent him into a fit, thinking he had caught his son's sickness. After calling into work sick, he realized what it was and flushed with embarrassment. It was hard to stay away from his son, but with the disease far worse in adults than children, he did his best to help his wife with other things around the house while she constantly pulled Drew's hands away from the pock marks. Drew recovered quickly and he soon was bouncing around like nothing had stopped him. November was almost over and the snowfall in D.C. had picked up a bit while Brennan's work load at the Jeffersonian died down. Even Booth's case work was minimal. Neither complained, however, since they were more than happy with spending more time at home with each other and Drew.

"I have an idea," Booth said one night while lying in bed.

Brennan crawled into bed next to him and turned off the bedside lamp. "What's your idea?"

"This weekend is Northwestern's last home game of the season. I think we should go. And take Drew. He'd love it!"

"It's going to be awfully cold. And if we go back to Chicago, I think we should go next summer."

"Why?"

She cuddled up to him, laying her head on his chest before answering. "I want to take Drew to Grant Park. And we can go to a baseball game and we can take him down to the Pier."

"We could go now and we can go then. You're right. Going in the summer would be a lot of fun, but I want to go back. I wanna see the campus again, hang out where we used to hang out before we got married and before Drew came. I want to visit the coaches and my old field. It'll be fun, Bren! We should go. Drew will love it."

"Too bad we're not going to Miami," Brennan mumbled into his chest.

"Why?"

"We could to back to the beach where we…you know…" she looked up at him and smirked.

He returned the grin. "We could to there, too, you know. Recreate our first time."

"As…nice as it was," she said, "Having sand in my ass wasn't the most pleasant feeling."

He laughed. "I agree. Maybe we can just do that right here. No sand, no ocean, just me and you. Right here, right now."

"I think that'll suffice," she said into his kiss.

* * *

After a nice, large Thanksgiving dinner with Angela and Hodgins, Booth and Brennan packed up the car the next morning with Drew, suitcases, and diapers to last a month before hitting the road for Chicago. The ride was long and the stops were frequent in order to give Drew sometime to stretch and be free from his car seat. It was late at night when they arrived at the hotel near campus in Evanston. Booth had called his old coaches earlier and secured tickets for the three of them to the next day's game. News of Booth's arrival on campus had spread, and as a local hero back during his college days and now, he was recognized almost everywhere he went. Hotel staff would ask for a picture or an autograph on an old replica jersey. Booth wasn't used to the attention anymore, and Bren found it amusing that he was still so popular around campus. Waking up early the next morning, Booth and Brennan dressed head to toe in purple and white and went down to the campus bookstore to get Drew some new Northwestern gear.

"He grows too fast," Brennan complained, "We just got him a little jersey for his birthday and he can't even fit into it anymore."

"He's not going to stop growing until he's twenty, Bren," Booth said, laughing, "We're going to have to get used to it."

The snow was just starting to fall and Booth wrapped a blanket around Bren and Drew as they stepped outside to make the trek to Ryan Field. Drew struggled in Bren's arms for a bit, attempting to tell her that he wanted to walk, but she held on to him tight and they made it to the stadium quickly. Once they handed the man at the gate their tickets and through throngs of fans who couldn't believe Seeley Booth was back, they made their way to their seats just behind the bench at the fifty yard line. Memories flooded back to her of sitting there with Hank and Jared for hours on end, watching Booth throw pass after pass and call play after play, leading his team to four national titles. It was odd to be back here after being gone for so long. Neither had realized how much they missed the field. Booth saw things differently, however. Now he was on the wrong side of the sideline. The only time he had stayed on the sidelines for an extended period of time was freshman year when he was hit with a regular season ending high ankle sprain that required surgery. He was back in time to start in the national championship game. He wanted to be back on the field. Had he not gone into the Army, he'd be making millions of dollars a year, traveling around the country and throwing a ball as a profession. He missed football, but he knew his job with the FBI was more fulfilling. He wouldn't change it, plus, he knew Bren wouldn't be thrilled with moving all over the country each time he signed with a new team. This life they had created in D.C. was better for them, better for Drew, better for a family.

They arrived to their seats just as the team made their way out to begin their warm-ups. Head coach Allen Jones jogged out with the team and practically stopped in his tracks at the sight of his former player.

"Seeley Booth! Holy shit! Long time, no see," Jones laughed as walked over to Booth. Booth stuck his hand out for his mentor, but Jones didn't shake it. He pulled Booth into what Bren could only qualify as a guy hug, something she had witnessed between her husband, Teddy and Jack on numerous occasions.

"How ya doin', Coach?"

Jones shrugged. "We're having a pretty good seasons, one of the better one's since you left."

Booth smiled. "Coach, I'm sure you remember Bren."

"I sure do. You broke curfew that night in Miami. You told me she was a keeper," Jones said with a sly smile, shaking Bren's hand.

"Yes, sir. And this is our son, Drew."

"Well, I'll be damned. Kid looks just like you. If he throws like you too, I can tell you we've got a spot here for him."

"That's still a while away, but I've already got him tossing the ball around. He's going to be better than his old man."

"If that's true, I better get his letter of intent now," Jones joked.

The coach and his former player talked for a while before Jones went to supervise his current players. But the Booth family wasn't left alone for long.

A man approached them and held out a hand. "Gary Collins, athletic director," he introduced himself as Booth shook his hand.

"Seeley Booth. This is my wife, Temperance Brennan and our son, Drew. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Collins." Collins shook Bren's hand and waved to a shy Drew, who had buried his face in his mom's shoulder.

"It's my pleasure, Mr. Booth. I'd like to give you and your family these field and box passes. They'll get you onto the field and up into the press box. If the little guy needs to get warm or you want to go hang out with the players, this is the way to go."

"Wow, thank you, Mr. Collins," Booth said, taking the passes from his extended hand.

"It's my pleasure. I have a question for you though."

"Sure."

"Would you and your family mind coming up to the press box at halftime? The athletic board and I have a proposition for you."

Booth looked at Bren, who shrugged.

"Yeah, we'll come up."

"Great. Enjoy the game, guys."

"Thank you," Booth and Brennan said at the same time.

"What do you think they want?" Booth asked her.

Brennan shrugged again. "We'll see. I'm sure it's not bad. You're not a student anymore so you're not on academic probation or anything," she tried joking, hoping to make things a little lighter.

Booth chuckled. "True. Let's go down on the field. Drew's gonna love it."

Brennan picked up Drew again and leapt over the barrier, just as she did years ago when Booth was carted off the field with his injured ankle. They talked with the coaches and met the players, all of whom were in awe that they were meeting one of Northwestern's most prolific players. The first half passed quickly with the Wildcats dominating conference rival Illinois, thirty five to seven.

As the team and coaches marched back into the locker room, Booth, Bren and Drew went up to the press box where they were greeted by Collins again. He introduced them to members of the athletic board before sitting them down.

"Mr. Booth, the board and I want to offer you a coaching position here at Northwestern."

"What?" This isn't what Booth expected at all.

"We'd have you start off as offensive coordinator, but there are, of course, opportunities to advance. We'll give you some time to talk it over with your wife but we'd like an answer soon. This folder has all of the contract details, but, obviously, if you don't like them, we are up for negotiation. We'll also help you and your wife move things from your home to Evanston and we'll help you search for a house."

Booth looked at Bren. He was trying to read her. She was worried, concerned, and not just for herself. Sure, she loved her job and she couldn't fathom leaving Angela, Jack and Teddy, but it was also a family concern. What about Pops and Jared? What about Lizzie, Sadie and Sasha? They'd be extremely far from Philadelphia and their random weekend trips wouldn't be possible anymore.

"I'll let you know by tomorrow, Mr. Collins. I'd like to talk to my wife about this. It would be a huge change."

Collins nodded. "Of course. Now on a less serious note, Mr. Stewart has an announcement."

The room got quiet as a man stood. He had been introduced to them as an athletic board member. Booth couldn't remember the man's exact title, but he was sure he had something to do with the hall of fame.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to announce that the number five jersey will be retired at the beginning of next football season and Mr. Seeley Booth will be inducted into Northwestern's athletic hall of fame for his outstanding performance during his time here as a Wildcat, leading our team to four national titles, including the first national title in Northwestern history."

Applause sounded around them and a few men emitted a few shouts of approval. He was surprised to say the least. After quite a few rounds of congratulations from members of the board and other booster club holders, Booth, Bren and Drew went back down to the field just in time for the second half to start.

"So what do you think?" he asked Brennan as they took a spot on the sideline. Booth hoisted Drew onto his shoulders so he could get a better view over the players' heads.

"I think it's very exciting that you're a hall of famer now."

It wasn't exactly what he was talking about it, but the sultry tone of her voice got to him.

"How exciting?" he whispered in her ear.

"Just wait until Drew's asleep."

He laughed, trying to play off what she was doing to him so he wouldn't lose control right there in front of seventy thousand people and his son.

"That's not exactly what I meant though."

"You mean about the coaching position?"

He nodded.

"We'd have to move," she said. It was an obvious statement, but it was the only thing she could come up with.

"Yeah."

"Can we talk tomorrow? I don't want to ruin the game or our plans for tonight."

Booth smiled wickedly. "Deal," he said, leaning down while keeping Drew steady on his shoulders to kiss his wife.


	43. The Good Stuff

She woke up the next morning and found the other half of the hotel bed empty. Searching around for an article of clothing that had been discarded the moment Drew began to dream, she slipped on his old Wildcat practice shirt and went to search for him. Brennan found him in the bathroom, talking quietly on his phone.

"I want to thank you for the offer, Mr. Collins, but I can't uproot my family…It's more than money…yes, I understand that I could make more here in six months than I do in D.C. in a year, but that's not the point…the point is that I'm not about to move my wife and son eight hundred miles from our family! I really am honored by the offer, Mr. Collins, but I can't. I love my job in D.C. and my wife loves hers. We have a life there…Thank you for understanding…Yes, we will be back in September for the hall of fame ceremony. Thanks again, Mr. Collins."

Bren pushed open the door and smiled at him. Sitting on the ledge of the bathtub, he smiled back.

"We didn't talk about it," she whispered to keep from waking up Drew.

"I already knew your answer. Was I wrong?"

She shook her head. "It was an accurate assumption." Booth held his arms open and she crossed the tile floor to sit on his lap. She smiled as she sat and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"My shirt looks good on you."

"And it looks good off you."

He chuckled softly. "I thought you'd still be asleep. We had a late night," Booth said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"I was cold."

"I can warm you up."

"Yes, please."

He hoisted her up and swiftly carried her back to the bed. Bren let out a small yelp as Booth unceremoniously plopped her on the bed. They both looked over to the extra full size bed that held their sleeping son. Drew didn't move.

"He sleeps like you. He's not going to wake up," Brennan whispered in his ear.

Booth grinned and covered her mouth with his. He pulled his shirt off of her and kissed down her neck to her bare chest.

When they recovered from their latest go-round and redressed in preparation for Drew to wake up, Brennan asked while lying in bed, "Are you still okay with trying to have another baby?"

"Of course I am. Have you changed your mind?"

"No!" she said eagerly, "I just…figured this would've happened by now."

"Hey," he whispered as he pulled her closer to him, "It'll happen. Everything happens eventually."

* * *

**A/N: Just a quick update on my normal update day before Turducken time tomorrow haha :)**

**Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate it!**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates: gocubsgo1717**


	44. Silver Bells

**A/N: So I know Christmas is still a few weeks away, but I'm already in the festive spirit. The next few chapters will be holiday heavy, only because I love this season. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!**

* * *

Returning to work was odd for the both of them. Booth hadn't officially gone back to work since Kirby was found dead. He was adjusting back to his desk in the bullpen in the cold case division. None of the cases seemed promising. Most of the cases had occurred before he was even born. Cell phones hadn't been invented and most computers were still just ideas in the minds of scientists and engineers. Booth investigated case after case, solved several with ease. Most cases he did solve happened in the D.C. metro area. He was putting off cases that would force him to go out of town. He hated the idea that he would have to be away from Bren and Drew for another extended period of time and with Christmas only a week away, he only had a few days left for shopping.

Day by day, Brennan became increasingly excited to go to work. She always looked forward to working with Zach. He showed more promise than she had seen in a while. The team worked on several skeletons from Modular Storage, finding how they died and attempting to restore peace and justice to the forgotten souls. Angela was anxiously awaiting the day where she could tell Jack about the pregnancy and Jack was becoming paranoid that his two friends, including his own wife, were hiding something from him. Zach was becoming good friends with the entomologist and they spent their lunch breaks racing beetles and talking about their Christmas plans, Zach heading to Michigan to visit family and Jack thinking about surprising his wife with a trip to Canada for a spa weekend.

Bren and Booth had finished their Christmas shopping for Drew, but had yet to find something for each other. Their son was going to be the most spoiled little boy on the East coast. Toys cluttered every nook and cranny of closets around the house, away from the prying eyes of the toddler.

She arrived home first one night in early December and began fixing dinner. In an effort to keep Drew away from the TV as long as possible, she turned on the radio. Finding nothing but Christmas music, she stuck to one station and went back to the kitchen. Before she had met Booth, before she even thought about having children, if she had found nothing but Christmas music on the radio, she would've sat in silence. Bren's take on the holiday season had forever been altered the moment her parents left, but now, with a new family surrounding her and a son to cheer her up, Christmas music wasn't such a bad thing.

"Bren?" Booth flung open the front door and shouted for his wife.

"What is it, Booth?" she called back from the kitchen.

"A little help, please?"

She abandoned the stir-fry and went to see what the commotion was in the living room. Drew, who was sitting on the bottom step of the stairs, watched his father, awe and confusion written all over his face. Booth hadn't planned this. He saw the roadside stand on his way home from the Hoover and couldn't resist.

"What the-? Booth!"

"Could you maybe help me wiggle it a little more? I can't get it through the door."

The pine tree was stuck. Snow and needles were dirtying the previously clean floor and the open door was letting all of the heat out into the winter night.

"Seriously? You didn't even tell me? You could've called. Do you even know if the tree is going to fit inside once we stand it up?"

"It'll be fine, Bren. Just help me get the tree inside."

Reluctantly, if only because she had no other option, she helped him finagle the tree through the thin door. Once inside, she slammed the door shut and he leaned the tree against it. Brennan set about cleaning up the pine needles and melted snow while Booth dug around through a storage closet looking for the tree stand. Once they were successful, they cleared some space by the living room window for the tree. Brennan added a sheet underneath the tree to catch needles that would fall off over time and made a mental note to pick up a tree skirt at the store. They agreed to finish the decorations after dinner and they went back to the kitchen, letting the tree defrost in the next room.

When they finally got back to the tree, the leftover snow that had dusted it melted and the decorations were ready to be hung. While Booth strung lights around the tree, Brennan let Drew help her with the garland. The garland and lights tangled a few times and it took a while for the knots to come loose. Drew was fascinated with the blinking lights and doze off watching them flash. But his energy was renewed when Booth pulled the box of ornaments from the storage closet. Booth pulled out ornament after ornament, passing the fragile ones to Bren, and the sturdy, unbreakable ones to Drew. Pulling them out of the storage box faster than Bren could hang them, Booth noticed most of the ornaments had a similar theme.

"How many of these does he have?"

The coffee table was covered with ornaments that said 'Baby's First Christmas'.

"Your mom, Pops, Jared, Angela and I all bought Drew at least one. Lizzie actually bought him several."

Teddy bears, candy canes, Santas and elves were most common, but a few had footballs and baseballs, all signifying that it was Drew's first Christmas. Once there was nothing left to hang, Booth pulled the tree topper from the box. The silver star sparkled and as Booth reached to place the star on top, Brennan picked up Drew and flopped back on the couch.

"That was tiring," she mumbled, holding Drew tight to her. He cuddled to her and closed his eyes.

"I think he thought so too," Booth said, sitting close to them. Drew was already asleep. Brennan looked down at him, smiled and rolled her eyes.

"It's so hard getting his pajamas on him when he's asleep. It's quite simpler when he's conscious and cooperative."

"Well, the perfect duo is rare. He's either conscious or cooperative. Not both."

Brennan laughed quietly. "That is very true. I would suggest waking him up to dress him for bed, but then he'll just be cranky."

"Yeah, that's not a good idea. Come on, let's get you two to bed. You're both really tired."

"I am exhausted," she agreed. They climbed the stairs slowly and dressed Drew in his pajamas, all without him waking up. Brennan turned on a nightlight, just before halfway closing Drew's door.

They readied themselves for bed, hitting the hay a few hours earlier than normal. Booth and Brennan climbed into bed at the same time.

"Goodnight, Booth."

"Merry Christmas, Bren."


	45. Pretty Paper

**A/N: It's raining here. _Raining._ Seriously? It's the end of November. Wtf? Okay, I'm not one to complain. But Christmas is only 27 days away, depending on how you count the days. It should be snowing. Anyway, that's not the point of this update. Well it sort of is. It's gloomy out and I needed something to cheer me up. So here's another update. Another one will probably come later tonight or tomorrow. I'm on a roll here!**

* * *

The week flew past, and as Angela had told her once, the point of the week was the week_end_. Booth and Drew spent a majority of Saturday on the couch watching the remainder of the college football season before bowl games started up. Father took the time to explain to son the results of each play.

"He doesn't understand what you're saying," Brennan told him as she vacuumed around their feet.

"Of course, he does," Booth retorted, lifting his feet so she could vacuum the missed spots.

"He understands words, but he can't comprehend the meaning. Wait until he's about four and has the attention span to run a spread offense."

"I can't believe you still remember what a spread offense is!"

She smiled at him. "Four years of living, eating and breathing football with you will cause that." Brennan noticed Frank, their post man, step off their stoop to move onto the next house. She stepped outside, shouted a quick hello to Frank, and gathered the mail in the box and the small package on the step. When she went back inside, she passed the bills and other envelopes to Booth and took the package in the kitchen. It had no return address and the handwriting looked oddly familiar to her. She took the wrapping off from around the box and slipped it open. Beneath a wad of tissue paper, she pulled a red and green stocking from the box. It was old, the seams tattered and frayed at a few places and _Temperance_ was cross-stitched across the top. Santa and Rudolph were embroidered on the stocking, the colors having faded through the years. At the bottom of the box, Bren pulled a small note out.

_Tempe,_

_I've had this for a while now and I haven't found the right time, or enough time, to return it. When you fill Drew's stocking on Christmas Eve, make sure yours gets filled too. I know you've never believed in Santa, even when you were a little girl, but let Drew believe, if only for a little while. Christmas is so much more fun when Santa's real. Take care, honey. I love you._

_Dad_

Setting the note down, Bren contemplated getting rid of another horrible reminder of what Christmas used to be. But she didn't want to let it get to her. Drew believed in the obese man who broke into people's homes at night to eat their food. She wanted to let him believe. Booth had explained that a lie like this wasn't exactly a lie, not if it would benefit him in the long run.

"Booth!"

"Yeah?"

"Did you ever find Drew's stocking?" she called, absentmindedly running her fingers over the thread that spelled her name.

"Nah," he called back, his eyes still fixated on the screen, "But, I never checked that closet in the office. It might be in there."

Without a response, she took the stairs a few at a time and dug through the closet. Finally, she found what she was looking for along with hooks for hanging them over the fire place. Once back downstairs, she hooked Drew's stocking over the center of the fire place and added hers to the left. Booth pulled his eyes away from the game to watch her.

"Where'd that come from?"

"Max sent it," she said quietly, still focused on the stockings over the mantle.

"Sending things is going to get him caught," Booth warned, as if Max was actually listening.

"Not if no one is looking for him," Bren told him, still in a trance.

Booth got off the couch and stood behind her at the fire place. He wrapped his arms around her and looked at the mantle.

"Something's missing," he joked, staring at the empty hook meant for his stocking.

"Does Hank still have yours from your childhood?"

Booth nodded. "I'll call him tomorrow, see if he can bring it or send it soon."

* * *

"Now, why on God's green earth would you make me come down here just for a little sock?"

Booth laughed. "Pops, it's a stocking. Not a sock."

The old man smiled. "I know. I'm just foolin' around."

"You didn't have to come down so early. You could've just sent it," Booth told him as he helped Hank carry in his suitcases, "What's in here, anyway? These bags are heavier than an elephant carrying an airplane."

Hank laughed and gestured for Booth to lean in close. "Presents. And it was just an excuse to come see your gorgeous girl and my great-grandson early," Hank whispered into Booth's ear. He playfully rolled his eyes at his grandpa and helped him to the guest room.

"Speaking of…where are Bren and Drew?" Hank asked when he noticed the house was too quiet.

"On their way. Should be here any time," Booth answered, "Is Thai for dinner okay? I got too lazy to make anything tonight so I've called and ordered ahead."

"That's fine, Shrimp, as long as nothing's alive and kickin' in my food, you know I'll eat anything."

Just as he spoke, the front door opened and Drew, holding a take-out box, was herded inside by Bren, holding the rest of the food.

"He wanted to help," she explained, trying to fix her snow covered and wind whipped hair.

Booth took the food from her so she could take of her layers and kissed her hello.

"Pops!" Drew dropped the small box of food he was holding and ran to Hank. He scooped Drew up and hugged him tight.

"Are you ready for Santa?" Pops asked.

"Okay," Drew agreed.

Hank looked up at Booth and Bren. "Does he even know who Santa is?"

Bren shrugged.

"We tried explaining to him, but I'm not sure if he gets it," Booth said. He recognized a gleam in his grandfather's eyes. The old man was up to no good, and Booth could only imagine what Hank was planning.

As he threw his coat back on, Hank asked, "Where's the nearest mall? We're gonna take the little guy to see Santa."


	46. All I Want for XMas is a Real Good Tan

**A/N: Because I'm updating twice today, and right after one of my normal posting days, I'm warning you all not to expect another update on Wednesday. Finals are coming and term papers are due. Add a Russian test on top of that and hectic scheduling that my sorority decided to force on me, things are taking at turn for the worse around here. Give me three weeks and you could very possibly have daily updates once the semester is over. But at the moment, I'm pretty sure my professors hate me. But follow me on the Twit box for updates on when I'll be getting back to real life.**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

* * *

They made the trek down to M Street to Georgetown Park. It was the closest shopping mall, just as Hank requested. And, just as he predicted, there was a long line of families waiting to see Santa, kids waiting to tell him what they want to open Christmas morning and parents expecting a new holiday picture. The line was long, and impatient children hung on their parents, begging to see Santa _right now_. Hank, who had a firm grasp on Drew's hand, took the boy to stand at the end of the line. Booth and Bren looked wary, glanced at each other for reassurance, and followed Hank and Drew.

"Uh, Pops, how long is this line gonna take? I'm not exactly sure if Drew has the patience for this. I'm not even sure if I do."

Hank slugged Booth in the shoulder. "It'll take as long as it takes."

The mall employees working the Santa station were moving like an assembly line. One told the kids when it was their turn to see Santa while another handed candy canes to the kids at the exit. One was stationed behind a camera and another employee in an elf getup was working the cash register for parents who wanted to buy pictures. It was a swift process and the line moved quickly.

"Okay, buddy, do you want to go sit on Santa's lap?" the teenage girl dressed like Mrs. Claus asked Drew.

"Okay," Drew answered, but stuck to Hank's side. Pops led him to the stranger in costume and lifted him, passing him off. Santa put Drew on his lap and asked him what he wanted for Christmas.

"I wanna go somewhere warm," Booth muttered, earning a nudge in the ribs from Bren.

Drew didn't fuss like other toddlers they had seen in line ahead of them, but Booth and Bren were each trying to gauge his reaction.

"He's going to freak out," Booth whispered to his wife.

"He'll be okay. He's oddly okay with strangers. It's not exactly a good thing, but at least he's not crying," Bren responded.

Drew sat looking up, wide eyed at the man. His mouth hung open slightly and he didn't move.

"Is he okay?" Booth asked, "He looks like he's gonna freak out."

Hank turned to the middle aged man behind the camera and whispered, "Go ahead. Take the picture now before he moves."

The man snapped the button and the flash blinded Santa for the thousandth time that day. Drew, still wide eyed, looked back at his parents and his face morphed from one of confusion to the normal crying pre-requisite. Hurriedly, before a scene could be made, Bren crossed to Santa, thanked the man, for what she wasn't sure, and lifted Drew from his lap. He clung to her as they walked away and Hank paid for the picture. Just on the other side of the exit gate, where they politely said no, thanks to the elderly woman in the candy cane costume who was passing out the same candy she resembled, the crowded around Hank who was holding the picture for them to see. Now that he was out of the situation, Booth laughed.

"Look at his face. It's hilarious! He's going to hate this when he's older!"

"Then why are we going to keep it?" Brennan asked, worried about her son's potential hurt feelings.

"Because! Every kid has to have that one embarrassing picture! I'm sure Pops has one of me somewhere."

"I bet I could find a few," Hank mumbled.

Brennan smiled. "Oh! I remember this picture of Russ. It was taken right after my parents got back from a trip to Mexico. Mom and Dad had gotten me this pretty dress that girls wear for dances such as Jarabe Tapatio and Russ was jealous. So my dad helped him put it on and my mom was taking pictures of him. I wonder if Russ kept that one…"

She trailed off, letting her memories take her where they may. Sensing that things were going in the wrong directions of happy, Booth took Drew from Bren and began tickling him right in the middle of the mall corridor. Brennan snapped from her trance and listened to Drew's giggles.

"Dinner's gonna be cold," Booth warned as the four headed to the exit.

"We can heat it up," Brennan rationalized.

"I got a better plan: hot coco and grilled cheese. Is that okay with Mom and Dad?" Hank asked Bren and Booth.

"Yes!" Drew answered for them. As they walked through the doors, they heard the sound of a screaming toddler being forced at a much underpaid Santa.


	47. Silent Night

**A/N: Phew! I didn't know if I was going to get this one out or not! Writing ideas and time was hard to come by the last week and it'll be the same story for the next two weeks. This week is my last week of classes followed by finals week after that. Then, I'll have (almost) all the time in the world to write!**

* * *

When Drew was asleep and Hank had retreated to the guest room, Booth and Bren sat on the couch, watching the tree lights blink off and on again. She was lying on his shoulder, their cups of coffee forgotten on the table in front of them.

"Christmas is coming soon," he said softly.

"Mmm," she agreed, her eyelids sliding shut.

"I never did ask you what I want for Christmas."

"What do you want for Christmas?" she drawled out in her sleepy state.

She felt his chest shake with his laugh. "I'm supposed to be asking you that," Booth whispered. He could see her smile, her eyes still closed.

Bren sat up just a little to look at him. "Answer my question first."

"Answer mine," he countered.

She shook her head. "You never asked me a question."

"Okay, Miss Literal, I know what I want."

"Tell me."

He kissed her. "I want to go on our honeymoon. The one we never got," he mumbled into the kiss.

"I can't wrap that," Bren said, kissing him again.

"I don't want something you can wrap, unless you want to wrap yourself."

"That would prove to be difficult."

"Then let's go on a honeymoon."

"But what about Drew?"

"We can have Pops watch him. Or maybe Lizzie."

Brennan pulled back and smiled.

"Now that," he said, baring a grin that matched her own, "is an evil smile. What are you thinking?"

"Angela and Jack should watch him. Assuming they don't have other plans."

"Why?"

"Angela's pregnant. Don't tell Jack though. Angela told me she wants to tell Jack on Christmas, though I have a feeling she'll tell him before."

"Practice," Booth said what she was thinking. But the look on Brennan's face changed as the blue, red, green and yellow lights flickered over her features. "What's wrong?"

"I've never been away from Drew for an extended period of time. How long do you plan on having our trip last?"

Booth shrugged. "Maybe a week."

"That is a long time."

"What's a week?"

Booth's question confused her. "Seven days, Booth. You know that."

"I mean in the grand scheme of things, a week's not that long."

"Oh," she said, realizing she once again took things in the literal sense, "While that is true, it seems like it'd be a very long time to go without seeing Drew. What if he gets sick? Or we forget to pack something of his that's important? What if he needs us?"

Booth pulled her onto his lap to hold her. Wrapping his arms around her, he said, "He'll always need us. But we always said we'd do this. Plus, Ange has a key to the house. If we forget something for Drew, they can pick it up. And he just got over being sick. He's not going to get sick again so soon."

"You can't know that."

"Maybe not, but we know even on the off chance that Drew gets sick while we're away, it won't be the chickenpox," Booth tried to reassure her.

Bren eyed him warily. "You really want to go somewhere warm for the winter, don't you?"

Booth smiled and nodded. He kissed her again. "If only for a week, I want to see you on the beach in a bikini and I want to have you all to myself."

She considered his words. "That does sound nice," she admitted, "I'll talk to Ange to see if she's up for watching him for a while."

His eyes lit up at the prospect of an impending vacation. "In the meantime," Booth said, "why don't you answer my question?"

"What question?"

He gave her a knowing look. "You know which question."

"I want to go on our honeymoon. The one we never got," Bren stole his words with a smile.

"I can do that. I'll even try to wrap myself," Booth told her, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"That's not necessary. The wrapping won't stay on for long."


	48. Somewhere In The Sun

**A/N: Just a quick update to tell you all I'm still alive and have almost survived the last week of classes. Now, to survive the wait until tomorrow night and Finals Week.**

**Is it Thursday yet?**

* * *

"Okay, there are diapers in his bag, along with some wipes and diaper rash cream if he needs it. If you run out of diapers, there's plenty in his changing table at home. Oh, and he hates having the cream put on him and he struggles, so you might have to hold him down if you put it on him. I packed enough pajamas and socks for a week, but if he spills or gets them messy, they're in his changing table at home. Booth packed books, toys, and a few videos he likes. He never eats his cereal without half a banana in it. Oh, and if he starts eating it with his hands, take off his clothes and let him eat it in his diaper. It'll save an outfit. And he's been mastering the stairs lately so watch him; he's still pretty wobbly. When he takes a nap, give him his blanket. He won't sleep without it. Same for when he goes to bed for the night. Oh, and-"

"Bren, I think they get it," Booth cut her off, "They've watched Drew before. It's just a bit longer than normal. They'll be fine, Drew will be fine and we will be more than fine once I hit the beach so let's vamoose!"

She looked at him quizzically, not understanding his 'vamoose' speech, but turned back to Angela. "He needs a nightlight on, too. Ever since the shooting, he won't sleep without one."

"Don't worry, Sweetie. Drew's going to be fine. We're gonna have fun, aren't we, bub?" Angela asked the little boy in his mother's arms. Drew squealed with delight and laughed.

"It's time to go, babe. We're going to miss our flight," Booth said. Bren passed Drew to Angela and one last bag to Jack. Placing one lingering kiss on his forehead, Bren said, "I love you, Drew."

"Love, Mommy!" Drew said, his 'L' sounding more like a 'Y'.

"Bye, bub. Be good for Angela and Jack. We'll be back soon," Booth told his son, giving him one last hug and Angela a thank you kiss on the cheek.

"Go! Go have fun! We'll just be miserable here in the D.C. winter while you two are across the country, dodging Hawaiian volcanoes," Jack laughed.

"It's highly unlikely-"

"Bren, go on your honeymoon and make another baby so our kids can grow up together," Angela said, causing Booth's ears and cheeks to turn pink. She pushed them towards the door, and when they finally made it out to their car, Angela said, "Wave bye to Mommy and Daddy, Drew. You are about to be the most spoiled kid on the eastern seaboard."

* * *

Waiting in the terminal, Bren anxiously checked her phone every three seconds.

"He's fine," Booth whispered.

"I know I spend most of my days apart from him, but he's in the Jeffersonian-run daycare so I can normally go see him whenever I want. I've never been this far away from him for so long. It's unnerving."

"Angela will call if they need something. Don't worry."

"But what if-"

"Stop worrying. You won't be able to enjoy our honeymoon if you're worrying all the time."

Bren didn't say anything and they were called to board the plane. Knowing she would be forced to shut off her phone soon, she checked it one more time.

_No new missed calls_

Sighing, she hit the power button and shoved it in her bag, resolving to be worry free by the time they hit the runway in Hawaii.

* * *

"Hey, Angie! Did you know Drew took off his diaper? He's running around naked," Jack said as he walked into the entertainment room. A cartoon played on the oversized screen while Drew ran in circles around the sofa Angela was perched on.

"I know. I took it off."

"Um…why?" Three advanced degrees and Jack just didn't just understand why she would take a diaper off a toddler that wasn't potty trained.

"Freedom. He's always in diapers. The poor kid is always restricted in those things."

"Um so what happens if he…you know…"

"Then I'll clean it up," she shrugged.

"Are you gonna do this with our kid?" Jack asked.

"Do you have a problem with that?"

Jack knew that look. It was the look of 'don't-challenge-me-I-will-win-and-I'll-whoop-your-ass'. "Nope. No problem. Just wondering," he told her, holding his hands up in surrender, "but I'm going to get that stain master thing. Drew just made a giant puddle behind the couch. Maybe we should think about putting a diaper back on."


	49. Coastal

**A/N: Okay, who else cried? I did. That scene was all I imagined. I'm trying not to be spoiler-y for people who might not have seen it yet so I'm going to stop my comments there. Anyway, I've figured out how I'm going to end this fic but it's going to take quite a few more chapters. I already have the sequel to this mostly planned out and the first chapter already written. It's going to be more case driven but all of our favorite characters (the ones that belong to the show and the ones that I've created) will definitely be along for the ride.**

**But for now, I've cranked out **_**three**_** chapters tonight, because I'm so excited about the fact that I've finally figured out how to end this fic on a fluffy note :) I'm going to do my best not to rush through things and I have a lot more than this planned out. So while these chapters are short, I hope they make up for my on again and off again presence on FF.**

**Follow me on Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

_

* * *

_

"_Sweetie, are you really calling me from the beach? Shouldn't you and Booth be having some sort of wild and crazy beach sex and then napping before the ball drops tonight?"_

"Angela, I just want to make sure Drew's okay. How is he?"

"_He's peachy, Bren. Really, Drew's havin' a good time, Jack and I are having a good time and everything's fine."_

"You're sure?"

"_Positive. Don't worry."_

"No incidents? No accidents? No…anything?"

"_Well, he had a meltdown this morning. I forgot to pick up bananas at the store so Jack tried putting little pear bits in it, and he flipped out. I went and got bananas so we're fine now. But that's the only issue we've had. He's fine. He ate his breakfast the moment I made his cereal with bananas."_

"You're sure?" Bren asked again. Booth rolled over in the sand and reached for her phone. She moved out of his reach and waited for her response.

"_I'm going to hang up now. And you're going to put down the phone and, now listen to me, listen real close. I want you to jump that fine husband of yours. I've got things handled on this end. Zach's got things under control at the lab and Drew is just fine with us. Have sex on the beach while drinking a sex on the beach!"_

"Angela, I don't know what that means," she told her friend while swatting Booth's hand away.

"_Goodbye, Bren," _Angela said forcefully. Brennan sighed as she heard the disconnecting click on the other end and tossed her phone in the beach bag.

"He's alright, babe. I miss him too, you know," Booth said, pulling himself closer to her on his beach towel.

"Yeah, I know." Brennan let out another sigh.

"Do you wanna know what I'm thinking?"

She chuckled. "Am I going to like it?"

"You liked it last night. And this morning. And a half an hour ago. And-"

"Okay!" she cried, laughed, "I get it. Angela suggested napping before tonight so we can watch the Times Square ball drop."

Booth nodded. "Angela's right. You should listen to her more often."

"I married you, didn't I? I listen to her more than you know."

Booth laughed and kissed her. "Come on. Let's go to bed and then later, we can nap."

* * *

"Babe, wake up."

"Don't wanna," she mumbled into the pillow.

"Baby, we're gonna miss the ball drop."

"Don't care," she muttered as he shook her gently.

"Fine. I guess I'll just have to go find some hula girl to kiss at midnight," Booth teased, slowly walking toward the hotel room door.

"Hey!" Brennan sat straight up in bed. Giving her a sly smile, Booth dove back into bed and pulled her on top of him. She let out an Angela-worthy squeal and kissed him back.

"We can't ring in the New Year like this," Bren said into this kiss.

"And why not?" Booth asked. He reached over to the nightstand and picked up the remote. His eyes locked with hers and he turned on the TV. Suddenly, thousands of voices filled the room.

They resumed their kiss.

"_Ten…Nine…Eight…"_

"I love you," Bren whispered.

"_Seven…Six…Five...Four…"_

"I love you," he responded.

"_Three…Two…One…"_

"Happy New Year, Booth."

"Happy New Year, Bren."


	50. Don't Blink

**A/N: For updates on my updates, follow me on Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

* * *

The moment their car was securely in park, Brennan exited the car and walked briskly into the back door of the Hodgins estate.

"Mommy!" Drew shrieked the moment he saw his mother. He reached his arms up and she picked him up.

"Hi! Oh, I missed you!" she said into the hug.

"Miss you too. Hi, Daddy," Drew yelled, waving over Bren's shoulder to wave at Booth.

"Hi, buddy! Did you have fun with Angela and Jack?"

Drew nodded and Booth gathered Drew's numerous bags that Bren had packed him the week before and loaded them in the car while he let his wife talk with her friend.

"Did _you_ have fun?" Angela asked Bren with a waggle of her eyebrows.

"We'll talk later," Brennan said. Booth came back in and took Drew out of Brennan's arms to put him in his car seat.

"Ange, he's all sticky. Did he have a bath at all this week?" Booth asked, sniffing his son.

"Nah, I figured I'd let you take care of it, Booth. It's good for you. Builds character," Angela mused.

Booth rolled his eyes. "Alright, big guy. Let's get you home. A bath is in order."

"Okay, Daddy."

"Did something happen? Something exciting? How was Hawaii? I want to know everything!" Angela told Bren as she followed them out the door.

"I'll call you," Bren said, dismissively.

"If you don't call by ten tonight, I'm calling you!"

* * *

"_Sweetie, you said you'd call."_

"I'm sorry, Ange. I just wanted to spend some time with Drew. I really missed him."

"_Aw, Bren, that's precious. I forgive you. Now tell me, how was Hawaii?"_

Bren smiled. She was sitting in the office going over old paperwork, whispering into the phone, just in case Drew was still awake in the next room. "It was…wonderful."

"_So did you guys never leave the hotel room? Or did you stay out on the beach all night long? Was it totally romantic? Was it everything you ever dreamed of?"_

"We left the hotel room…to go to the beach. But that was basically all we did."

"_Besides _it,_ right?" _Angela laughed.

Brennan laughed lightly but didn't say anything, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.

"_I may not be able to see you right now, but I bet you are totally blushing. That's adorable, Bren. Really."_

"I never did properly thank you for watching Drew while we were away."

"_It's totally not an issue, Sweetie. Jack and I loved it. Jack's so excited for the baby now. We had so much fun."_

"I think…"

"_What is it, Sweetie?"_

"Never mind. I'll see you at work on Monday. Thanks again, Ange."

"_Wait, Bren, what-"_

Brennan hung up before Angela could get the rest of her sentence out. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

"Just wait until you can get a blood test," she whispered, "Do it at the lab. Wait until Monday. Don't get anxious."

Knowing talking to herself was going to get her nowhere, Brennan moved her thoughts back to her mind. _"Easier said than done."_


	51. When I Close My Eyes

**A/N: Super short, but I thought it was worthy of its own chapter.**

**For updates on my updates, follow me on Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

* * *

She was antsy. It reminded her of Drew when he was sick of his car seat and ready to get out of the car. Once her lunch break hit, she slipped in and out of the storage closest without being noticed and back to her office. Her plan didn't go over as well as she had planned though. Angela saw her not so sly friend sneaking around. Once she set her computer to run the recognition software on the old paper artifact she was restoring, Angela walked quickly to Bren's office. When she peeked in the door, she saw Brennan hunched over in her chair, her back to the door.

"Sweetie?"

"Ouch!" Brennan jumped and turned around. Relieved that it was only Angela, she whispered, "Shut the door!"

"Bren! What are you doing?"

"I'm taking a blood test. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Uh, I don't know, but why are you…I…what's going on?"

Pulling the needle from her arm, securing the vial, and applying pressure to her vein, Brennan checked the corridor, making sure no one would come in. "I think I'm pregnant."

Angela's jaw dropped to the floor. "Oh…my…"

"Shh!" Brennan cut her off before Angela could scream.

"This is so exciting!" she whispered loudly.

"Do you think Hodgins would run the test without mentioning it to Goodman or anyone else?"

"Duh! Sweetie, of course! Does Booth know yet?"

"No, I'm not even sure yet. For all I know, I could've just had altitude sickness when I was in Hawaii."

Angela looked skeptical. "Altitude? Really? Don't try to find a way out of it. You are pregnant."

"Who's pregnant?" Jack asked, walking into Brennan's office without knocking.

"Bren is!"

"Whoa! Congrats, Bren! Does Booth know yet?"

Brennan rolled her eyes at the situation. This was getting out of control.

"No. And it's not confirmed yet. I need you," Brennan told Jack as she handed him the vial with her blood, "to run a few tests."

"I'm on it. How fast do you want this?"

Brennan opened her mouth to speak, but Angela cut her off. "We wanted it yesterday, Hodgie. Go."

"Yes, ma'am," Jack said, a smile covering his face.

"Yesterday? How could we have wanted the test done yesterday when I only drew the blood today?" Brennan was confused.

Angela smiled. "Go with it, Sweetie. And soon enough, we'll know if there's a little Booth in the oven."


	52. Life is Good

**A/N: Follow me on Twitter for updates and clever (at least I think so) rants: gocubsgo1717**

**In our little timeline, it's the first week of February. Drew is almost two :)**

* * *

"You need to tell him, Bren! It's been a month!"

"I want to tell him! I do, but I want it to be right. I want this to be something he'll remember. How exactly did you tell Jack?"

Angela sat down on the couch in Bren's office. "I tied a little bow around my pregnancy test and put it in Jack's stocking. He cried a little, I think. He'll never admit it, but I think he did. He was so excited, Bren. You should've seen it."

Brennan thought back to how she dropped the bombshell on her new husband when she found out she was pregnant with Drew. After running to the bathroom to fight with her morning sickness, she blurted out those words. She never really had time to process it. He was about to ship out for the Middle East for a year. She wanted things to be different this time.

She relayed her story about her first time telling Booth she was pregnant and Angela agreed. "Yeah, you should do something different this time. Make it romantic. Or funny! Jack and I will help. We're going to make this something Booth won't forget."

* * *

"Jack and I will go move the guest bed into the hallway. You start packing up the stuff on your desk. Once everything's packed up, we'll move the desk downstairs to the family room. We can move Drew's toys later," Angela commanded. It was a Friday evening and Drew was occupied in his parent's room watching a movie with talking toys. Just as Bren, Angela and Jack began working on finagling the large desk out of the office, they all heard the front door slam. The three looked up at each other and grinned. Drew heard the door and shrieked, "Daddy! Movin'!" He tumbled off the big bed and ran toward the baby protected stairs.

"Huh?" Booth climbed the stairs and met his son at the baby gate. Booth took a giant step over the gate, too lazy to have to close it if he opened it.

"Movin', Daddy!" Drew pointed to the office.

"Booth, could we have a little help in here?" Bren called.

He stepped around the things piled in the narrow hallway. "Go watch your movie. I'm gonna go see what Mommy's doing," Booth told Drew, giving him a bit of a nudge toward the bedroom.

"Movin'!" Drew cried and ran off toward Booth and Bren's bedroom.

"Bren? What's going on?"

"Give us a hand, Booth. I don't remember how we got this desk up here in the first place, but it's gotta go down to the family room now," Jack said.

"Ange, stop. You don't need to be lifting," Booth told his friend. "Why are we moving stuff around?" he questioned his wife.

"We need more space. I've already ordered a new bed for the guest room and we're going to put the twin bed in here for Drew. I think he's old enough to get out of his crib, don't you think?"

"Big boy bed!" Drew cheered from the hallway.

"Andrew, go watch your movie," Bren told him. He ran off without another word.

"Are we putting Drew in here now?"

Bren nodded. "Come on, let's get this moved downstairs. I want to get Drew's new room done by tonight so he can go to bed at a decent time."

Without a fight, he forced Angela out of the way. "You're pregnant. No lifting heavy stuff for you," Booth told his friend.

"Then can you and Jack get the desk downstairs?" Bren asked him.

"Sure."

"He's oblivious," Angela whispered to Brennan with a smile as Booth and Jack turned out into the hallway with the desk.

"He'll figure it out. Booth's smart."

Five minutes later, after a long slow walk down the stairs to make sure they didn't scratch the walls with Brennan's desk, Jack and Booth ran back upstairs. Booth glanced into his son's room as he walked towards the empty office. Paint, other than the blue Angela and Jack had painted the room so long ago, covered one wall. The crib, changing table and the floor was covered by the protective plastic in case any fresh paint dripped. There was a different shade of blue in a small square on the left side of the wall. A pastel yellow square of test paint was in the center at about Booth's chest height. And on his right, a bright pink that lit up the room finished the color sequence of the test paint.

In the next room, Jack joined Angela and Bren. "He's in the nursery," Jack whispered.

"And in three, two, one," Angela counted down.

"Bren?" Booth shouted.

"Yes?"

He appeared in the doorway to Drew's new room. "Are...Are you…"

"Yes."

"No…yeah?"

He laughed and moved across the room to take her in his arms.

"You…are pregnant! It's a little baby boy!"

"Or girl," she corrected. Booth kissed her softly and neither noticed when Jack and Angela snuck out of the room to give the new expecting parents some privacy.


	53. Big Star

**A/N: Follow me on Twitter for updates: gocubsgo1717**

**This fic will probably end up being about the same length as **_**Long Nights**_** or maybe a few chapters shorter. It'll depend how I group the remaining bits and how fast I move through her pregnancy. It won't be like last time, where almost every detail is explained, but we'll still see all of it in this fic before moving onto the next one.**

* * *

"Hey, congrats, man! Are you excited? Scared? How's Bren? How are you going to tell Drew?"

"Oh, I didn't even think about that. I'll have to see what Bren thinks. Drew's not going to be an only child anymore."

Booth let out a big sigh and Teddy slapped him hard on the back.

"That's a lot to swallow," he sighed. Teddy chuckled and poured himself another cup of coffee. They were standing in the FBI break room, drinking all of the coffee and eating the day old donuts to avoid their respective paperwork.

"When's she due?"

"Beginning of September, which makes me a little nervous."

Teddy's confused. "Why? That'd be perfect. Drew will be two by then and maybe he'll understand what it means to be a big brother. He'll be able to grasp that sharing concept."

"We're going back to Evanston at the end of August for that Hall of Fame ceremony. Should she even be traveling that close to her due date?"

Teddy shrugged and took a bite of another donut. "You're the family man, not me," Teddy mumbled with his mouth full.

"Agent Booth, Agent Parker?" Director Hacker stuck his head into the break room.

"Yes, sir?" they both said.

"Can I see you two in my office?"

Hacker disappeared around the corner and flounced into his office. Booth and Parker abandoned their coffee mugs in the break room and followed Hacker to his office.

"Sit down, boys," Hacker said, pointing to the two chairs.

"Are we in trouble, sir?" Teddy blurted.

"No, not at all. Actually, I want to talk about you two partnering up."

"Um, sir, I'm cold case. Parker's homicide. Our case work doesn't necessarily cross over."

"Well, it can. I mean, we've kind of worked cases before," Teddy told Booth.

"That's true. You know, with…Kirby."

"Yeah! Does that mean Booth's getting promoted to homicide?"

"Or Teddy's getting demoted to the cold case unit?"

"No one's getting demoted," Hacker said, his overly eager smile making an appearance. "I'm making you two partners in the homicide division. With your solve rate, you two would be phenomenal. And I know you two work well together because of your history. Booth, go down to Personnel and get your ID cards updated."

"Yes, sir."

"You guys are dismissed. Go solve some murders, Agents."

"Thank you, sir," they chorused.

Calmly, they walked out of Hacker's office. But the moment the door closed, the two friends high fived.

"Let's go tell my wife. Come on, let's go surprise her at the lab."

* * *

"Zach, tell me what you see."

"The deformity of the skull suggests Mayan decent. Ancient Mayans used to place boards on the front and back of a newborn's head to elongate the skull so they would resemble the maize god."

"Good. Will you add this skull to the deformities wall down in modular storage?"

"Of course, Dr. Brennan."

Placing the oddly shaped skull on a stainless steel tray, Zach left the platform for Limbo.

The sliding doors opened to the lab and Booth and Parker strolled in.

"Hey, hey! There's my smokin' hot wife. How's it going, Bren?"

Parker stopped at the base of the platform steps but Booth kept walking. Bren ran across the platform and down the steps, just before Booth set off the alarms.

"That," she said, pointing to the sensor, "will make and alarm sound if you come up here without swiping an access card."

"Like this one?" he asked, flicking the ID card hanging on the lapel of her lab coat.

"Exactly. What are you doing here?"

"I have a surprise."

"What is it?"

"Oh, and hello, Teddy! You look great today!" Teddy teased, finding it funny that he had suddenly become the third wheel.

Bren turned and smiled at her friend. "Hi, Teddy."

"Hello, Bren. You're glowing."

"I suppose Booth told you?"

Parker nodded. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, although, I don't quite believe your statement about the way I look. What's going on? Why are you two not at the Hoover building?"

"We have some good news," Booth said.

"What is it?"

"I got a promotion," Booth said.

"And we got partnered up," Teddy told her, a grin covering his face.

"Oh, now that will cause trouble," Bren joked.

Teddy's phone rang and he excused himself to answer it.

"Congratulations, Booth," she told him. They were standing inches apart and Booth was doing everything in his power to not kiss her in her place of work.

"Thanks, babe. Everything just seems to be going right for me right now."

"I'm glad," she said, smiling. She kissed him quickly when she noticed Teddy was coming.

"Sarge, we gotta case. It's out at Quantico. We need to leave now to beat the midday lunch traffic."

"Alright. I'll try to be home before dinner," Booth told Bren, "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Good luck," she called after them as they left the lab.

"We don't need luck, baby!"

* * *

"Dr. Brennan, would you come to my office for a moment? There's someone I'd like to introduce you to," Dr. Goodman said without greeting as he stepped into her office.

Not one to obey her boss's orders, Brennan put away the x-rays of her current case from Limbo and followed Goodman to the Archaeology wing. When they entered Goodman's office, someone was already there.

"Dr. Temperance Brennan, I'd like for you to meet Dr. John Fallon, he's an anthropologist out at Arizona State."

"It's nice to meet you, Dr. Brennan. The article you published on determining height by analyzing the tibia instead of the femur was incredible."

"Thank you. Though I haven't read any of your articles, I'm sure you are of importance since you have left your university to come to the Jeffersonian."

"Dr. Brennan," Goodman said through his embarrassed smile, "Dr. Fallon is here to talk to you."

"About?"

"Dr. Brennan," Fallon spoke, "I'm heading up a dig. It could lead us to the connection between hominids and humans we've been looking for. Your body of work is quite impressing and I'd like to personally extend an invitation to you to join our dig."

Bren eyed him warily. "How long?"

"A year."

"Where?"

"The Maluku Islands. Formerly known-"

"As the Spice Islands in Indonesia. I know. While I'm sure it is an excellent opportunity, I cannot accept. I must be getting back to work."

"Dr. Brennan!" Goodman's booming voice stopped her, "This is an incredible chance of a lifetime. Surely, you're not willing to miss something like this?"

"Dr. Goodman, it was not my intention to drop this bomb on you like this, as my husband would say, but I cannot leave the country for a year. I have responsibilities here that are of the utmost priority."

"Dr. Brennan, if time is an issue, we could sign you on for a six month stint in the islands," Fallon offered.

"I'm sorry, no."

"Dr. Brennan, something like this could be very good for the Jeffersonian."

She sighed. This was not how she intended telling her boss she would need maternity leave.

"Dr. Goodman, the reason I cannot go to the Maluku Islands is that I am pregnant and I want to be with my husband and son during this time. I will need some maternity leave starting around the end of August. I really need to get back to work now."

"Oh…" her rant left Goodman speechless, "Well, congratulations, then. Tell your husband that as well."

Brennan nodded and exited his office.


	54. I'm on Fire

**A/N: Follow me on Twitter for updates: gocubsgo1717**

**Next chapter should be up soon :)**

* * *

**March**

"We should tell Hank, Lizzie, Jared and Russ," Brennan said.

It was a Sunday morning and the Booth family was sitting around the kitchen table. Booth was getting Drew ready for church, the toddler standing on top of the table while Bren scanned the newspaper in her pajamas.

"We gotta tell Drew, too. I'm tired of walking on eggshells and watching what I say," Booth muttered.

"Then why don't you tell him today? On your way to church, tell him."

"How?"

"Tell me?" Drew asked as Booth slipped the little clip-on tie around Drew's neck.

"We'll talk later, bub." Booth picked Drew up off the table and sent him to the living room to play with his toys. "How do you want me to tell him?" Booth asked her.

"I've done extensive research on the topic. I've read in several books that it might be a good idea to wait to tell Drew until he has significant evidence that there is another baby."

"Evidence?"

"When I begin to show," she explained.

"Oh. I think Drew should be the first to know. Well, fifth to know since Jack, Angela, your boss and Teddy already know."

She smiled at him. Drew came toddling back into the kitchen and ran straight into Booth's legs.

"Tell me! Tell me!" Drew begged.

"Later, buddy. You ready for church?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, let's go." Booth picked Drew up and held him under his arm like a football, making Drew laugh.

"We'll be back soon," Booth said, giving Bren a kiss goodbye. Drew reached out for her, still laughing, and Bren gave him a kiss too.

The moment they walked out the door, Brennan sat for another moment, pondering their recent conversation. Ditching the newspaper on the kitchen table, she ran upstairs to get dressed before leaving a quick note for Booth and running out the door.

* * *

Drew and Booth arrived home a little over an hour later to a still house.

"Bren?" Booth called out.

Drew, unconcerned about his mother's presence, or lack thereof, went back to the block tower he had been building earlier.

"Bren? Hello?" Booth walked into the kitchen where he had last seen his wife and found the note she left for him.

_B,_

_Went to the bookstore. Be back soon._

_I love you,_

_-B_

The note only gave him reason to not worry, but his curiosity piqued. He left the note on the counter where he found it and went to get Drew out of his church clothes before he somehow ruined them. After struggling with Drew to put clothes back on, Booth changed as well and just as he was coming back down the stairs to play with Drew, the front door opened and Bren walked in. She had several bags from the local bookstore and Drew was eager to see what was in them. He pulled down on one bag to get a look inside. Bren playfully pulled it away, making him giggle.

"Mom!"

"Hello, Andrew. How was church?"

Drew shrugged and ran to kick over his block tower, laughing hysterically. Bren smiled at him and went into the family room and put the bags on her desk.

"Hey, babe. What's going on?" Booth asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her.

"I had an idea once you two left," Bren told him. She turned in his arms to look at him and said, "I am quite excited about this and I'd like to tell the rest of our family as soon as possible. But I agree with the fact that we should tell Drew before your grandfather and mother. Sarah in the archaeology department at work told me that she read books to her daughter when she was pregnant with her twins. These are slightly inaccurate about how the baby comes into the world, but I'm not sure if Drew is ready for such detailed information."

Booth chuckled. "Probably not. What did you buy?"

She turned out of his arms and reached into the bags. Bren handed him a few picture books.

"I'm a Big Brother? Baby on the Way? Waiting for Baby? How many did you buy?"

Brennan shrugged. "Only the one's I deemed suitable for Drew. There were some that were more detailed but I doubt his attention span would remain focused on those for long."

"Well, do you want to tell him now?" Booth asked her.

"Yes. I'm very excited to tell Hank and Lizzie."

He smiled at her and kissed her quickly before calling to their son.

"Drew! Come here! Mommy and Daddy want to read some books with you!"


	55. Like Me

**A/N: Follow me on Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

* * *

**April –Easter Sunday**

"What time is everyone going to be here?" Bren asked as she set plates out at the dining room table. Their dining room was rarely used, but with the amount of people they had coming over for Easter dinner, the kitchen table was too small for everyone. Angela and Jack had already arrived but they were still awaiting Russ, Amy and the girls, Lizzie, Brian, Sadie and Sasha, plus Hank and Jared who were coming from Annapolis. Their small brownstone was about to be packed with people and Bren was anxious. She wanted all to go well, and Booth and Jack were fighting with their Easter ham.

"Hodgins, you hold it down, while I carve it up," Booth ordered.

"Look, dissecting things like this takes time. Can I at least show you the proper way?" Jack told him.

"This isn't a science experiment, Jack! We just…cut the thing!"

"Boys! Just cut the ham. I want to eat on time," Angela demanded.

"Yes, ma'am," and "Of course, dear," were the responses she received from the men.

There was a knock on the door and Bren answered it. Hank and Jared were on the other side.

"Hey, sis!" Jared stepped in and placed a small kiss on her cheek.

"Hi, Jared. Hello, Hank," she greeted them.

"Ah, there she is! Where's my grandson?" Hank asked her as he released her from the bear hug.

"In the kitchen attempting to finish our dinner," she told him.

Hank smiled and shook his head. "I meant where's Drew?"

"Oh! He's over here." She walked to where her son is playing with toys in the family room and Hank followed.

"Pops!" Drew screamed when he saw Hank. He ran to his great-granddad and hugged him

"Hey, sport!"

Brennan smiled at the scene and then looked around Drew's play area. His books about being a big brother were spread out everywhere. Quickly, she nudged the books under her desk. She didn't want the surprise to be ruined before everyone even arrived. She looked back to Hank and Drew, the former of the two giving her a wide grin.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Hank asked her with a sly smile on his face.

"Of course."

"You're showing," Hank whispered, "Jared may not be able to see it, but I've been on this earth long enough to tell."

She laid a hand over her slightly rounded stomach and smiled at him. "Let Booth tell you. He's been dancing around here with beetles in his pants all weekend. He can't wait to tell everyone. Jack and Angela know, but no one else does yet. Booth was going to say something when everyone arrived."

"You mean ants. He has ants in his pants?"

"Yes. Will you let him tell you? He's quite excited."

Hank chuckled quietly and hugged her once again. "Of course, dear. Congratulations," he whispered, kissing her cheek.

"Pops!" Booth called from behind him.

"Shrimp! Did you cook that ham just like I told you?"

"Yes, sir. And it smells great. As soon as everyone gets here, we'll eat," Booth said, accepting a guy hug from his grandfather. Hank excused himself to the kitchen to greet Angela and Jack. Drew became his little shadow and followed Hank around.

When they were alone, Booth kissed her.

"Did Pops find out?"

"No," she replied a little too quickly.

"Bren…"

"He saw Drew's books and figured it out. I told him you wanted to tell everyone so he doesn't say anything to Jared. Are you mad?"

"No! I guessed Pops would've figured it out before I could say anything. You're already showing and it's getting harder to hide it, not that I want you to."

Brennan smiled. "Let's go get the rest of dinner ready before everyone gets here and I can't move around the kitchen anymore."

"Everyone better get here soon or I'm going eat the entire ham by myself."

"That is a gross overstatement, and I mean that in every sense of the word."

The kitchen was bustling with people, everyone trying to help finish the dinner preparations or attempting to scavenge up something to eat. Russ, Amy, Hailey and Emma arrived soon and Drew was very excited to have someone to play with. But when Lizzie, Brian, Sadie and Sasha arrived, the house was full and loud. As Bren predicted, it was very hard to get anything done in the kitchen when everyone was crowding around to see when the food would be done. Drew, who was just like his father, ran to ask when his dinner would be ready. He tangled himself around Bren's legs. She picked him up off the ground so no one would trip over him and he wrapped his arms and legs around her and squeezed his mom tight.

"Drew, be gentle," Booth whispered into his ear to remind him.

"Baby!" Drew cried, pointing at Bren. Everyone in the kitchen stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Bren, Drew and Booth.

"Baby?" Jared spoke first, obviously confused as to what was going on. Jack, Angela and Hank stood in the background, grins covering their faces.

"Are you having a baby, Bren?" Sadie asked.

"Baby!" Drew shouted again, pointing to Bren first and then her stomach. The noisy house became even louder when everyone started shouting their congratulations to the young family, hugs and kisses traveling everywhere.

"Aw, man, Drew! You stole my thunder!" Booth teased his son. Drew just laughed.


	56. She's Got It All

**A/N: For updates, follow me on Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

**

* * *

**

**Second week of June**

"Dr. Brennan, you wanted to see me?" Zach appeared in the doorway to her office.

"Yes, Zach, come in. Sit down, please," Bren told him gesturing to the chairs in front of her desk. He did as he was told and sat, waiting for his boss to speak.

"Zach, I'm sure you're aware of the fact that, soon, I will be going on maternity leave for an extended period of time. By that time, I believe that you should have your doctorate by then. Even if the Jeffersonian decides to hire you on as a full time staff member, we will be extremely short handed. Dr. Goodman and I have decided to add a few interns to the staff. We will be able to train them now while I'm still here so they can help out while I'm gone."

"I agree, Dr. Brennan, that this sounds like the best solution," Zach said.

"I'd like for you to help me pick out our new interns since it will be you who is in charge of them while I'm gone."

Zach gulped at the responsibility but shook it off. "Of course, Dr. Brennan. Do you have anyone in mind?"

For the next few hours, the two poured over personnel files to determine their help for when the new baby arrived.

* * *

A week later, near the end of the work day, Bren directed Zach to locate one of their choices for the new intern position. It had been a long day, and she had been pushing back the introductions. She had heard rumors about this new intern and, though she didn't put much stock in gossip, she wasn't looking forward to meeting this grad student.

Zach swiped his access card and two pairs of feet came up the platform steps quickly.

"Dr. Brennan, this is-" Zach started.

"I'm Daisy! Daisy Wick. It is such an honor to be working with you like this," the bubbly new intern held out her hand to Bren. Daisy eyed Brennan's protruding stomach warily but her hand never wavered. Brennan turned from her and instructed Zach and Daisy to begin putting the three skeletons that were currently on the platform back down in modular storage, while she finished some paperwork. The lab doors slid open and an echo sounded through the open room.

"Hi, Mommy!" Drew ran as fast as his little legs could carry him toward where his mother stood on the platform.

Walking off the platform, she met Drew half way. He hugged her legs.

"Hi, Mommy. Hi, sister."

"Yes, hello, wife. Hello, daughter," Booth said, strolling into the lab not far behind Drew.

"You two are…" she laughed, struggling for words.

"Adorable?" Booth supplied.

"I suppose." She smiled at them. Shrugging off her lab coat she turned back to her interns and said, "Zach, I'll need the report on John Doe number 6812 by noon tomorrow, and Ms. Wick?"

"Yes, Dr. Brennan?"

"Please report here by seven AM tomorrow. We have a lot of work to get done."

"Of course," Daisy said, displeased her new boss was leaving so soon.

"Go home, sister," Drew said, taking Bren's hand and guiding her to the door.

"Yes, let's go home," Bren agreed, "I'm hungry and your sister eats more than you do."


	57. Never Wanted Nothing More

**A/N: Follow me on Twitter for updates: gocubsgo1717**

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* * *

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**July**

"Dr. Goodman, I'd like to recommend Dr. Addy for a job."

"Well, I'll take that into consideration. Thank you, Dr. Brennan."

It was evident that she was being dismissed, but Bren was not about to let him intimidate her.

"Dr. Goodman, I'd like Zach to be my replacement when I leave."

He looked up at her. "Leaving? Do you plan on leaving the Jeffersonian for good once your baby arrives?"

"No! I simply meant that I'd like him to take control of the anthropology division of the Medico-Legal lab once I go on maternity leave. When my maternity leave is over, I'll come back but I'd still like for Zach to be working with me. Now and in the future."

"Hmm…" Goodman planned his next question, "Do you have faith that Dr. Addy can handle these sorts of responsibilities?"

"He knows what is going to be asked of him and I know he is capable of succeeding in completing these tasks."

Goodman nodded slowly, leaving Brennan confused. Normally, she could follow his actions, understand what he was thinking, but now she was confused about what the outcome would be. He stood from his desk and paced a little.

"Dr. Brennan, you have faith in Dr. Addy. He may be a bit young for the job, but so were you when I hired you, though you had a bit more experience. I'll give Dr. Addy the job. If you believe that the lab won't fall apart in your absence due to Dr. Addy's work, than I do as well."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Dr. Goodman. I'd like to tell Zach myself if that's okay."

Goodman smiled at her. "Of course. Go on."

She exited his office. Jack and Angela were hovering outside.

"What did Goodman say?" Angela asked first as they followed her back to the lab.

"Did Zach get the job?" Jack said next.

"I thought you didn't like Zach?" Brennan asked Jack. He shrugged and smiled ever so slightly.

"He's growing on me."

Angela rolled her eyes. "Only because you finally found someone to race beetles with."

"Once our son is here, you're never going to get rid of beetle racing. I hope you know that."

Angela was severely grossed out and patted her belly. "I'm sorry, little one."

"Hey!" Jack pretended to be offended.

"Ange, what are you doing here?" Brennan asked her, realizing something wasn't quite right, "You're supposed to be at home, resting. The baby could arrive anytime."

She waved off Bren's concern. "I couldn't sit around the house anymore. I got bored. Plus, I wanted to be here for Zach, for moral support."

They all walked into the lab. When Jack noticed his computer beeping with results, he left the two pregnant women to find Zach.

"Zach!" Bren finally called out, her swollen feet tired of walking.

"Yes, Dr. Brennan?" Zach shouted from the lounge above the platform.

"Can you come down here please?"

Angela and Brennan waited at the base of the steps for Zach to arrive.

"Congratulations, Dr. Addy. You got the job."

Though Zach had only worked for the Jeffersonian for less than a year, it was evident from the beginning that Zach fit right in. Jack found a new friend in him, Angela a new confidant, and Brennan another member of her family. She hugged Zach and Angela did the same. Jack appeared behind his wife.

"Let's go celebrate! Come on, Dr. Addy. Let me buy you lunch."

* * *

When Brennan and Drew arrived home that evening from the Jeffersonian, they found that Booth was already home. He was standing in the kitchen, drinking a glass of milk when they walked in.

"Hi, Daddy!"

"Hey, buddy. Hey, babe."

"Pink looks good on you," she said as a greeting. He was dressed in old Army gym clothes covered in paint.

"We gotta finish the nursery before she gets here," Booth explained, "and I got a little carried away with the roller this afternoon."

"I hope you didn't drip of the carpet."

"Carpet's safe," he vowed. "What do you want for dinner?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, "Thai?"

"Thai it is! You call, I'll go pick it up when it's done."

"No, I can go."

"Bren, you need to rest. You've been on your feet all day," Booth said firmly.

"I'm not handicapped, I'm pregnant."

"Your feet hurt, don't they?"

Bren said nothing, and he knew he was right. "Go sit down," he told her, "or go play with Drew. I'll get dinner taken care of."

She sat down on the couch and watched Drew play with his tractors while Booth placed the order for Thai. She turned on the evening news but barely listened. She was exhausted and even the simplest things drained her energy. Drew abandoned his toys when he saw his mom and walked over to her. Wordlessly, he pulled up her shirt just a little so her stomach was showing. She shivered at the cool air in the house and Drew kissed her belly ever so gently.

"Love you, sister," he spoke to the baby. Drew climbed up next to Bren on the couch and sat next to her.

Bren took his hand and placed it back on her stomach. The baby was kicking constantly and the feeling made Drew confused.

"That's the baby saying she loves you too," Bren explained to him. Drew smiled and kissed her stomach again. Booth watched the scene play out in amazement. He couldn't believe how lucky he was. The Thai place had him on hold when another call beeped in. He answered it, heard Jack's frantic voice the other end. Booth did his best to soothe his friend and hung up.

"Bren, we need to go to the hospital. Angela's having the baby."


	58. Living In Fast Forward

Booth, Bren and Drew spent the evening and most of the night at the hospital. When Jack came out into the waiting room to tell them that nothing would happen until morning, Booth suggested they go home and rest up so they could get back to the hospital bright and early. Angela was at Georgetown University hospital, not far from Booth and Bren's house, but Bren refused to leave. Knowing better to fight with her, Booth took Drew home and Jack took Bren back to see Angela.

She was exhausted. She was frustrated that the baby hadn't arrived yet and all she wanted to do was sleep. Jack explained to Bren that Ange was being stubborn and refusing pain medication.

"Ange, you know once you get to a certain point, you can't have the epidural anymore, right?" Bren told her.

"It'll help you sleep," Jack coaxed.

"I don't want to sleep. Not now," Angela told him. She turned her attention to Bren and asked, "Did things really take this long with Drew?"

"Twenty two hours, Ange. You were there for all of it. Don't you remember?"

"Yeah, but I was just expecting this to go so much quicker!"

Bren laughed. "Sorry to disappoint."

"Wait, how are you feeling?" Angela asked her, "This isn't going to stress you out or anything?"

"I'm not the one in labor. Not yet anyway," Bren said, shrugging.

"Will you stay? I mean, for the whole thing? This is kind of freaking me out and you're the only other mom I know."

"All of the women in the art history department at the Jeffersonian are mothers. You know them," Brennan pointed out.

"Okay, Miss Smarty-Pants, you're the only one I trust."

Brennan smiled. "I'll only stay if you want me to."

"I want you to!" Jack spoke up, "You know how things are supposed to go. If something goes wrong, you'll know."

"Jack, you're a genius. I would assume you would also know if something happens," Bren reasoned.

"He's not a genius today. He's a first time dad," Angela's doctor, Dr. Page said from the doorway.

"I've figured out I lose like… all my IQ points when you start talking about the baby," Jack told the doctor.

"Most new dads do," Dr. Page told them, "Okay, Angela, let's see how things are moving along, huh?"

After a normal exam, Dr. Page delivered the news that Angela still was nowhere near meeting her son.

"It could still be quite a few more hours," the doctor told Angela, "It's normal though." Dr. Page left Jack and Bren with one very pissed Angela.

"Why is this taking so long?" she whined, "It hurts."

Jack pulled Bren aside and whispered, "I'm going to run home and pack a few things for Angie and the baby. We left in such a hurry that we forgot everything. I'm going to pack, get Angie one of those peanut butter and egg salad sandwiches that she likes so much and some food for us. Is there anything you want?"

"Thai. And some decaf coffee would be nice."

Jack grinned. "I'll be back. Don't let him show up without me," he told both his wife and friend.

* * *

Angela still hadn't slept a wink and her husband still hadn't come back. She didn't know where he was and she didn't care. All she knew was that Jack Hodgins was a dead man for taking so long on that egg salad sandwich. He had been gone for over three hours and Bren had fallen asleep long ago. Nurses had been in and out but no one told her anything about what was going on. These pains were stronger and there wasn't much down time between them. Something didn't feel quite right to her and Bren _needed_ to wake up.

"Sweetie," she whispered. When that didn't get her attention, she chucked a few balled up napkins from her tray at Bren. It hit her square in the nose and she swiped at the air in her sleep, trying to block anything else that might be coming her way.

"What-" she said, slightly out of her sleepy state.

"Sweetie, something's wrong!" Angela told her, while Bren was still somewhat conscious. The _w_-word stirred Bren completely and put her into full gear.

"I'll go get the doctor. Don't move!"

"Not planning on it, Sweetie!" Ange called through her pain as Bren ran out to the nurses' station.

Dr. Page and a few nurses followed Bren back into the room and after a few moments and another exam, Dr. Page told Angela, "You're ready. Is your husband in the cafeteria or the gift shop? Can I make a call for you?"

"I don't know where he is! Bren, can you call him?"

"Don't worry, Ange, I'm sure he's almost here. He probably took a nap at home or something. I'll have Booth use the siren to go pick him up. Drew will love that."

Bren went back out into the hall to make the call. Booth answered on the second right.

"Are you alright? Is Angela okay?"

"Booth, I need you to go to Angela and Jack's house now. Angela's about to have the baby and Jack's not here. Use the siren if you have to but Jack needs to be here for this."

"I'm on it. I'll call you as soon as I pick Jack up."

"Thanks. I love you."

"I love you too. You know, Drew's gonna love the siren."

She smiled. "I know. Get going."

"Okay, see you soon."

He ended the call and Bren went back to give Angela an update.

* * *

With Drew under his arm, Booth ran up to Hodgins' back door and jimmied the lock. Hodgins was asleep at the kitchen table, the ingredients for Angela's sandwich spread out everywhere. Drew was giggling as they ran into the house and attempted to wake up Hodgins.

"Okay, bub, this is gonna be loud. Cover your ears," he told Drew. Still tucked under Booth's arm like a football, Drew covered his ears.

"JACK!" Booth screamed, slamming his free hand on the kitchen table simultaneously. Hodgins sat upright at the thunderous noise.

"What the hell, man?"

"Hey, you're about to have one of these," Booth held out Drew, "so I suggest you get up and get in my car. Because if you miss the birth of your child, Angela's gonna kill you."

"Yeah, good thinking. Think she'll still want the sandwich?"

"Let's go!" Booth said, rolling his eyes and pushing Jack out the door.

* * *

"Sweetie, where is he?"

"He's on his way, Ange. Don't worry. I just got a call from Booth. Jack fell asleep making your sandwich. They're using the siren and they'll be here in five minutes."

"Good 'cause I'm gonna kill him."

Dr. Page smiled at Bren and told Angela they'd wait as long as they could for Jack, but if he took too long, they'd have to start without him. Four minutes later, and they knew it was four minutes since Angela was keeping track, Jack came jogging around the corner and into the room.

"I am very mad at you right now, but this is going to have to wait for later," a very frustrated Angela grumbled at Jack.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I love you," Jack said, trying to better his situation.

"Okay, Angela, whenever you're ready," Dr. Page told her.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Bren walked out to the waiting room to give the news to her husband and son. Booth and Drew were fast asleep on one of the couches. Drew's head was perched on Booth's lap with his mouth slightly open. Booth's mouth hung open the same way and he had a hand on Drew's back. She hated waking him up. She kissed and Booth's eyes shot open.

"How's Ange? How's the baby?"

"Angela is understandably exhausted but I think she's running on adrenaline now. Mason's fine. He's quite adorable. He has Jack's eyes. Lots of thick, dark hair, too," she added.

"Mason, huh?"

"Yes, I find it suits him very nicely. He's very cute."

"Yeah, I'll remind you that in sixteen years when he's pining after our daughter."


	59. Never Going to Feel Like That Again

**A/N: We're nearing the end of this fic! I'm predicting we have about two chapters left. One final chapter and then an epilogue. I'm kind of winging it if you haven't been able to tell :) Shameless plug time: if you haven't yet, go check out my other in progress fic **_**Seven Sins, Seven Virtues**_**. I'm quite proud of it and I'd love to hear what you all have to say. **

**And remember, this is in the past, 2002 to be exact, so for those of you who know the current Cubs roster, a majority of those players aren't here yet. We still have Sosa, Alou, Prior and Beltran. For those of you who don't follow the Cubbies, it doesn't really matter :) And obviously, I don't own the Chicago Cubs, but that'd be pretty cool though!**

**The first part of this chapter is mainly dialogue while the second is mostly just description. If I had made the second part all dialogue, this chapter would be miles long. Enjoy!**

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* * *

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**Third weekend of August**

"So, have you forgiven Jack for almost being late?"

"I was never mad at him. He was there when Mason was born and that's all that matters. Are you all packed for Evanston?"

Bren and Angela were sitting in the Hodgins' kitchen, drinking decaf coffee and whispering. While Mason napped in his room, Drew was fast asleep on the couch in the main living room, just a few feet away.

"Yes. Booth is finishing the nursery right now. He wants to have it done before we get back so we don't have to worry about it in case she arrives early. We're going to leave after lunch. I have a feeling driving while this pregnant is not going to be pleasant. But I have snacks packed and several bottles of water. I already booked a hotel just outside of Cleveland so we can stop for the night and we can sleep in. I expect us to arrive in Evanston about late afternoon or early evening tomorrow."

"Well, just be careful. So when does Studly get inducted?"

"The official ceremony is Friday night, but Booth is especially excited for the presentation just before the game starts on Saturday. He's going to take Drew on the field with him. I just hope all the noise of the crowd doesn't scare him. It can get quite loud at that stadium."

"Well give him ear plugs. But have fun. I'm quite excited for you. And a little jealous."

Bren smiled. "Booth already got tickets for a Cubs game. It'll be Drew's first baseball game and the tickets are right behind the dugout. I'm not sure what that means but Booth is very excited."

"It'll be a lot of fun," Angela promised, "Take lots of pictures for me. The little guy is gonna have so much fun. You're taking him to the Pier, right?"

Bren nodded and turned her head at the sound of little feet making their way toward the kitchen. Drew had woken up and was rubbing one eye while toddling toward his mom. When he reached them, Drew wordlessly put his arms up and Brennan did her best to lift him.

"Ready to go?"

Drew nodded. "See Dad?"

"Yes, we're going to go see Dad. He's at home."

"Let's go home," he told her.

"Yes. We'll see you soon, Ange."

Bren waved as they went out the door.

"Bye, Angie," Drew called.

* * *

The car ride went better than expected. Drew slept most of the time and when he was awake, they sang songs and looked at the farms on the side of the highway to keep him distracted from his restricting car seat. They stopped numerous times to let Bren's blood circulate and to let Drew stretch his legs. Their stopover in Cleveland proved to be a good call. Booth was exhausted from driving and the hotel pool helped with the back pains Bren was currently experiencing. After sleeping in the next morning and one last float in the pool, they were ready to leave their hotel for the next one in Evanston. They arrived just as Bren had expected, it was just after five. But what wasn't expected was the fanfare that surrounded Booth's arrival. They had dealt with Booth's popularity the last time they were in Evanston, and now that the Golden Boy was back on campus to be inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame, everyone wanted a good look at their hero. The hotel staff had been expecting them and treated them like royalty. But once Booth had insisted they could carry their own bags, they took their bags into the hotel room and unpacked. For the second time in a year, they were back in Evanston. While she loved her time at Northwestern, she never thought she'd be coming back so much. The state of Illinois itself had too many memories for her to handle, but she brushed them aside, hell bent on having a good time with her husband and son.

Booth had things all planned out for them. There were so many things he wanted to do with Drew this time in Chicago now that the weather was warm. They spent their first day in town at the Field Museum looking at old dinosaur bones and at the Shedd aquarium watching dolphin shows and seeing the beluga whales. The next day was spent at the planetarium. Bren, who hadn't looked at the stars since she was a child, was having just as much fun as Drew. Booth took them over to Soldier Field to see one of the fields Booth might've played on had he stuck with football. But their Wednesday in the Windy City was a big day.

They got up early, dressed and ate breakfast. Once the clan was ready, they climbed in a taxi and Booth told the driver to take them to Addison and Sheffield. The taxi let them off just in front of the Friendly Confines and Drew was automatically captivated. Bren stopped them just outside of the famous red marquee to slather sun block on Drew; the August sun was beating down that day and the last thing she wanted was a cranky, burnt two year old. They went into the ball park and before anything, they bought lunch: Chicago-style hotdogs for Booth and Bren, and a normal hotdog for Drew. They made it to their seats in time to see the team run out onto the field for their warm ups. Drew's hotdog was practically forgotten as he watched the team practice before playing their cross town rivals. Booth started telling Drew which player did what and Bren had to remind her boys to eat or the hotdogs would end up cold. When the sports stations covering the game realized Seeley Booth was in attendance, sports casters came to ask for interviews and Booth couldn't turn them down. Booth kept things short though, wanting to spend time with his family rather than talking about the honor that was about to be bestowed upon him. The game was a long one. It went into extra innings and pitchers were changed like "girls change their clothes," Booth told Drew. Brennan rolled her eyes at his comment but said nothing. Booth was thrilled to see Sammy Sosa hit a home run. He told Drew that they had witnessed history and when Sammy came back to the dugout, Drew waved at him and said hi. The player smiled at him and disappeared into the dugout. He reemerged a few seconds later, ball in hand. He rolled it across the top of the dugout to Drew, who caught it just as it fell. Drew told him thank you at his mother's insistence and showed his dad the ball. Drew refused to let go of it when Bren told him to put it in his diaper bag for safe keeping. When the game ended, they hailed another cab to take them back to their hotel near campus. Though Drew fell asleep in the cab, he still had a death grip on his souvenir.

When they arrived back at the hotel, they put Drew right to bed, still dressed in his little Cubs uniform. He slept right until dinner time. His energy renewed and Bren came up with one idea that would tire him out again in time for bed: swimming. Booth kept Drew in the shallow end while Bren floated weightlessly around the deep end. The baby was pressing right against her spine and the pain she had been experiencing was getting to be unbearable. Night fell and after a few hours, Drew could barely keep his eyes open. It was right back to bed for him, and his parents fell into bed not long after. They had another big day ahead of them. With temperatures reaching over ninety degrees, spending the day near Lake Michigan was perfect.

They went to Grant Park first, spending time walking around, splashing in the fountain and eating more Chicago-style style hotdogs. They walked along the Lake Michigan shoreline and spent the afternoon on the beach. Drew and Bren took a nap on the beach under Booth's watchful eye. When the two woke up, Booth's excitement could hardly be contained. He put them in a cab and shuttled them down to the Navy Pier. They spent time watching the magician in the front lobby and walking through the gift shops. Then, Bren challenged the boys to a game of miniature golf. Drew inevitably won, but Bren jokingly blamed her loss on the fact that she could hardly bend over with her protruding stomach in front of her. Bren and Drew shared an ice cream cone while Booth downed his own shake. The cone was actually Drew's but it was melting too quickly in the sun. Bren helped him out and finished off the cone by the time they reached the front of the Ferris wheel line.

At first, Drew was excited to "ride the circle", but the moment Drew realized he was off the ground, his arms and legs wrapped around Bren as much as they could.

"You know," Booth said as they moved toward the top of the wheel, "I almost proposed to you right here."

Bren readjusted Drew on her lap. "You did?"

He smiled and shrugged. "I chickened out."

"Why?"

"I was scared you'd say no."

Bren smiled back at him. "You didn't have to worry about that. Look where we are now," she said, nodding her head toward Drew and her stomach.

"I didn't need to worry at all."


	60. The Life

Now officially a member of Northwestern's Athletic Hall of Fame, Seeley Booth packed the car, loaded his very pregnant wife and his exhausted son into the car to head back home. They stopped again in Cleveland on Sunday night, much to Brennan's relief. Her back was hurting more and more each day. Again, the lukewarm water helped take the weight of the baby off her back. Booth stayed in the room with Drew and a couple of hours later, Bren came back up to the room ready for bed.

"I'm very exhausted. Would you rub my back?" Bren whispered, as she eased down onto the bed next to her husband.

"Of course, babe. How are you feeling?"

"While I would certainly be fine with delivering early, Cleveland is not the best place. We're still several hours from home. Traveling long distances, whether on a plane or in a car, with a newborn is not the best idea. I'm estimating the baby's weight to be almost eight pounds. She is going to be larger than Drew! My due date is only a week away. Drew arrived early; maybe she will too."

"I'm ready to meet her now," Booth said.

"Drew certainly is. And I'm ready for this back pain to go away. But I'm ready to meet our daughter. I hope she looks like you."

Booth scoffed. "As long as she has your eyes and your smile," he told her.

"But I like your smile!"

She rolled over to face him. She wanted to lie next to him, to rest her head on his chest, but her belly was in the way. Bren shifted as the baby did, both moving around to find the most comfortable position.

"We'll meet her soon enough. Just try to get some rest, babe. We're going to need it soon."

* * *

After sleeping in the car the day before and all night previous, Drew was energized for the next day in the car. He complained loudly and frequently, causing several stops for him to stretch his legs. Booth let Bren sleep in the car during their stops. She had barely slept the night before and was still having problems.

Nearing the sign to Bethesda, Bren sat up and nudged Booth.

"Pull over," she told him.

"Bren, we're like twenty minutes from home. Can you hold it a little while longer? I gotta pee too, ya know."

"Booth, I'm coming to the conclusion that my contractions have been increasing slowly but steadily for the last twelve hours. And I have either just urinated on myself or my amniotic sac has broken. If you don't want to stop at the naval hospital, how much farther to Georgetown?"

"Uh…uh, maybe twenty minutes tops. Are you sure you're in labor?"

She nodded once. "I can make it to Georgetown. But I would really prefer if you hurried. She's already being stubborn and pushy, just like you."

* * *

"Okay, I called Angela and Jack. They're going to bring Mason to keep Drew occupied while we do this."

"We? I'm unsure of the roll you'll be playing here tonight. I have the brunt of the work."

They had checked into the hospital not ten minutes before and the doctors and nurses already had Bren and the baby in bed and hooked up to machines. He started pacing. Having never been through this before, he didn't know what to expect.

"Ow, ow, ow," she mumbled through a contraction. Drew was sitting on the hospital bed with Bren, refusing to leave her side. When he heard her say 'ow', he lifted the sheets to expose her stomach and kissed it.

"Feel better?" he asked.

"Much, Andrew. Thank you."

He kissed her stomach again and again until Angela arrived.

"Come on, Champ. We can go play with Mason until your sister shows up." Reluctantly, Drew slid off the hospital bed, giving Bren one last kiss on the cheek before taking Angela's hand to go find Mason and Jack in the waiting room. As Angela and Drew left, the doctor came in to check on Bren.

"Okay, Temperance," Dr. Francis said, "Are you two all prepared for another little one?"

Bren's confident "Yes" was contradicted by Booth's nervous "No." Dr. Francis laughed and told Booth there was nothing to worry about.

* * *

Later, Booth sauntered out into the waiting room with a big grin covering his face.

"It's a girl!" Booth said and Drew began jumping.

"Yay! Let's go see Mom," he said and tried lifting Mason's carrier. His new friend fussed a little and Booth pulled Drew off to the side.

"I have an idea. Let's go get Mom and your sister a present from the gift shop. You can pick it out, okay?"

"Yes!" Drew cried, throwing his hands in the air. The little ball of energy had not worn out despite the late hour. Running ahead of Booth, Drew led the way to the gift shop. He picked out a stuffed elephant for his sister and a few balloons while Booth picked out the freshest daffodils they had.

Just as they got back to Bren's room, the nurses were handing the baby back to Bren. Eagerly, Drew ran to the hospital bed and began to pull himself up.

"You need to be very gentle, Drew. She's very little," Bren told him and Drew then moved slowly, struggling to hoist himself up. Booth gave him the last little nudge he needed and Drew moved to Bren's side.

"Here, baby," Drew held out the stuffed elephant to his sister.

Bren took the toy for her and looked it over.

"I want both of you to listen to me," she said, looking between her son and daughter, using her best mom voice, "Elephants are not purple."


	61. Epilogue: There Goes My Life

**Epilogue**

Almost two months later, Booth was digging around in the storage closet looking for one of Drew's old Halloween costumes.

"Found it!" he cried and emerged from the closet.

"Booth, she's not going to fit into that. She's bigger than Drew was," Bren told him.

He shook his head. "Nah, Clara's gonna fit into just fine. Right, princess?"

Clara kicked her feet, pushing away the costume. After a bit of a fight put up by both Booth and Clara, Booth had wiggled her into Drew's old costume from his first Halloween. She was dressed as a football to go along with Booth and Drew's costumes as football players.

Angela, Jack and Mason came in the front door ready to go trick-or-treat. Hodgins was dressed as Aladdin, Angela as princess Jasmine, and Mason as the monkey Abu.

"Sweetie! Why aren't you in costume?"

"Mommy won't wear it!" Drew told her.

"Because Daddy bought it," Bren said to Drew, then she turned to Angela and said, "Booth thinks I'm still the same size I was freshman year of college. Things have changed. That was two babies ago!"

"What did he buy?" Jack asked.

"A cheerleader costume. But I'm wearing one of Booth's old jerseys instead. There is no way I'm dressing like…like that in front of Drew."

"I'm sorry, babe!" Booth said as he came down the stairs, "For the hundredth time, it's my fault it's too small on you and I'm sorry."

"Maybe you can save it for the bed room," Angela told them and both Booth and Bren blushed.

"Okay!" Jack broke the awkward silence, "Who wants some candy?"

* * *

Clara slept through most of their adventure around the neighborhood, but was wide awake the moment Drew was in bed. Bren sat on the couch with Clara in her lap, playing peek-a-boo. Booth sat next to them and put two steaming cups of apple cider on the coffee table in front of them.

"Hi, princess. Are you having fun with Mommy?"

Clara grinned at her father.

Bren smiled and looked at the mugs on the table. On the other end of the table, a plain white envelope sat waiting to be opened. "What is that, Booth?"

"I don't know. Something Angela and Jack left, maybe?"

The envelope's flap had been tucked in, concealing whatever was inside. Booth opened it and took out a small folded sheet of paper. Photographs fell out and Booth passed the note to Bren, turning his attention to the pictures. Holding the letter out of Clara's reach, Bren read it out loud.

"_Tempe, I want to tell you how proud I am of you. I was out of the country for a while and I just heard the good news. A friend came back and told me you have a little girl now. I have the newspaper clipping of the birth announcement. I have to tell you, Clara Joy is a beautiful name and she's a very beautiful little girl…"_

Booth scanned the pictures. All were taken years ago. Most lacked color and the corners worn. He could tell by looking at the little girl in the photographs that it was a younger version of his wife. She and Clara were practically identical. Same eyes, nose and crooked smile.

"_I hope one of these days we get a chance to talk. I wish your mother and I could be there to help you out, to babysit for date nights and see our grandkids grow up. Maybe someday, though. Seeing Drew for that short amount of time was more than I could ask for, given my circumstances, but I hope to spend more time with both Drew and Clara in the future, whenever that may be…"_

There were pictures of Bren as an infant, as a toddler, as a young girl. She looked so carefree, void of all the worries and pain she hadn't yet experienced. Booth couldn't take his eyes off the pictures. He was fascinated by the resemblance between Bren and Clara and by the brightness in Bren's eyes, something she lacked when he first met her. Her eyes shined now, just as they had back then, happiness taking over the troubled past that had resided there for so long.

"_Enjoy this time with your family. They grow so fast. And time flies when you're not paying attention. I love you. Dad."_

Booth looked up at her as she finished reading the letter and Clara let out a squeal, telling them she wanted some attention. Booth handed her the photos and took Clara. Bren looked them over and sighed.

"He was here. He was here and he left," Bren sighed.

"If he had stayed, I would've had to arrest him. The Kirby case is still open. He still has a warrant out for his arrest," Booth said. He was unconcerned with how his father-in-law got in and out of their house, he was just glad there wouldn't be any arrests or anything to drive a wedge tonight.

"I know. But, I just wish…"

"I wish it could be different too. I know you want Drew and Clara to know their family, but they have a family, with or without Max. They have us, Jared, Pops, Lizzie and the girls, and Russ and his family. Angela and Jack are their family too. They have a great family."

"That's not what I was talking about, Booth. I want Max to make up his mind," she said, "Either in or out. He needs to decide whether he's going to be in their lives or not."

"He doesn't have much of a choice, babe. Max has made his choices and now he has to deal with the consequences."

"I don't want Drew to catch on to things and then feel abandoned by his grandfather. I'm not going to let him, or Clara for that fact, deal with what I had to."

Booth moved closer to her and said, "There is no way that is going to happen. Never."

Bren smiled and looked at Clara, who was happily dozing off in his arms. "We should get some sleep before she wakes up in a few hours. She's getting used to being held. You can't keep holding her so much, Booth. She's never going to let you put her down."

"It's all part of being a Daddy's girl. She can count on me for anything."

* * *

**A/N: The end! I already have the first chapter of the next fic in this storyline written and an entire outline planned. I can't tell you when it'll be up, but it may not be until after Christmas. I don't have a title for it yet and I also want to focus on **_**Seven Sins, Seven Virtues **_**before getting started on the sequel. I'll post a little author's note onto the end of this when I get things figured out for the next fic. Thanks to everyone who has stuck around this long, and especially to those who have left reviews. I'm not very good at replying but your reviews really are appreciated. Happy holidays everyone! :)**


	62. Author's Note

**Author's note:**

**The sequel to **_**Love on the Inside **_**is now up.**__

**I want to thank everyone who has reviewed this fic and has stuck with me through it and through **_**Long Nights.**_** If you're up for it, head on over to the next story and drop me a line to let me know what you think. It starts off a bit darker than this one ended up. Set four years after **_**Love on the Inside**_**, **_**Lifeline**_** begins with a case and a search to find something precious and promises to end happily. **

**Thanks again, everyone, for reading! :)**


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